


Loving The Blue

by tajchy1



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Basketball, Best Friends, Comedy, Drama, Eventual Lemon, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, High School, Jealousy, Light Angst, Male-Female Friendship, Romance, Sports
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-29 20:43:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 52,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12093060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tajchy1/pseuds/tajchy1
Summary: You are a female student, second-year, who transfers to Kaijou High School from abroad. Knowing only Kasamatsu Yukio, you somehow become the manager of the boys' basketball team. What happens when you meet the ace of the basketball team, Kise Ryouta, the school's biggest heartthrob and a famous model? Will you two constantly be at each other's throat? Or will you two slowly fall into the most complicated game of them all - the game of love? What happens when you are forced to face the scars of your past and what will the copy-cat of Kiseki no Sedai do if someone may want to snatch you away from him? The rules of the game of love are complicated and it is hardly ever easy, especially if two different personalities come together. Is there any hope for a romance between the new, insecure girl who carries scars from her past deep inside, and the boy who is just the opposite but has a lot to learn as well?I DO NOT OWN THE ORIGINAL KUROKO NO BASKET CHARACTERS. THIS WORK IS A WORK OF FICTION.WARNING: MAY INCLUDE MATURE LANGUAGE OR CONTENT. BY READING THIS STORY, YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, AND ARE OVER THE AGE OF 18.





	1. The New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, thank you for choosing my story! It's my first attempt at writing Kuroko no Basket ^^  
> DISCLAIMER:  
> I DO NOT OWN THE ORIGINAL KUROKO NO BASKET CHARACTERS!
> 
> I would be very happy if you share your thoughts and suggestions with me in the comments! Any constructive critic is also more than welcomed, but there is no need to be rude. English is not my mother tongue so there is a chance some grammatical errors may occur - I will be more than happy to fix them should you find any.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* (l/n) = last name        (your country) = insert the name of your country

  (f/n) = first name

You are standing in front of the entrance of the prestigious Kaijou school, trying to get rid of the lump in your throat. Your dad got the position in one of the business corporations so you and your family moved to Japan. Kaijou was one of the schools that had a worldwide-recognized international program so it was an obvious choice. Although your Japanese has improved, it still wasn’t at the level you wanted it to be. It was good enough for you to get by but you didn’t understand enough to take biology classes in it. You notice some of the students passing by are openly staring at you.

 _Well, I’m the foreigner in Japan. Of course I’m going to stand out_ , you think to yourself, ignoring the looks.

At the very beginning, you felt very uncomfortable when people so openly stared at you without even as much as blinking an eye, but you’ve gotten used to it eventually. Not only were you the foreign girl but you were also quite tall.

 _Here goes nothing_ , you think after you check your phone and see that the message you are expecting still hasn’t arrived, and you step onto the school grounds. The school campus is enormous. If it hadn’t been for the teacher waiting for you, you’d definitely get lost.

“Ah, you must be (l/n) (f/n)! Welcome to Kaijou high school. My name is Terada Ryonosuke and I am responsible for your class. I teach English otherwise.”

He seemed nice. He is a little taller than you, much to your surprise. You yourself are around 178cm tall. He has kind eyes and he appears to be in the middle of the thirties. He couldn’t have been forty yet. You are also surprised by the lack of accent in his pronunciation. His English was really good.

“I am very pleased to be here, Terada-sensei. If I can be of any help, please let me know,” you reply and bow a little.

He smiles at you and starts showing you around. You don’t show it or say it out loud but you are actually freaking out by the size of the school.

 _How about just providing me with the GPS_ , you think to yourself, trying to remember as much as you can. You can feel that you’re sweating and the day hasn’t even begun. You secretly check your phone but there aren’t any new messages.

_Out of all the possible timings, this has to happen now?_

Terada-sensei stops in front of the glassy building and smiles at you.

“Go straight through the corridor and turn right. Second year classes will appear on your right as well. You are in the class number 2. Now excuse me but I cannot accompany you to the class - I have a short staff meeting in a few minutes. You should have no problems getting there.”

You nod, unable to speak because of the lump in your throat … and because your mouth suddenly became drier than Sahara desert. The teacher smiles at you, obviously happy about it, and leaves you standing there. You feel like a complete idiot when you enter the building, taking your shoes off. You put them in your locker, doing your best to ignore the stares and all the whispers that appear once you pass by. You look up and almost get a heart attack. The first corridor is for the third years?!

 _Oh dear . . . Just don’t trip, whatever you do, do not trip, (f/n)_ , you tell to yourself and bravely make the first steps into the corridor.

You see people hanging out in front of the classrooms, chatting. You can feel yourself blushing when their attention shifts to you. You keep your head high and try to appear as unaffected as possible. But then you notice a boy, standing with two of his friends in the middle of the hallway, frowning at them.

“Yu-Yukio?”

You call out his name way louder than you had intended. The corridor goes silence as the boy you know slowly turns around, a vein twitching on his forehead because someone dared to call him on his first name basis. But then his steel blue eyes scan you and widen in surprise.

“(f/n)?”

The boys next to him only gap at him, their jaws almost hitting the floor. Their captain is actually talking to a girl?!

“YUKIO!” you exclaim, overwhelmed with such a relief you don’t even care that you’re causing a scene. You run towards him and literally throw yourself into his arms. He catches you purely on the reflex and instinctively wraps his arms around your waist as you happily squeal into his ears.

“Oh my god, it really is you, Yukio! You’ve grown! We’re the same height now!”

The frown that disappeared when he spotted you appears again when you mention his height.

“At least I’m not smaller than you anymore,” he replies in English, making his friends’ jaws hit the floor for the second time.

“Well, it’s been three years since we were your host family. I wouldn’t expect anything less,” you smile widely at him.

Kasamatsu Yukio was an exchange student at the school you attended. You were his host family and although at first he couldn’t really speak to you, you somehow found a way to make him feel comfortable around you. The key to make him forget about your gender difference was basketball. Whenever Kasamatsu spoke about basketball, nothing else mattered anymore. You two became friends and kept in touch even after he left. He was the one whose message you were expecting. Before you can ask about why he didn’t reply, he speaks up.

“Anyway, what are you doing here?” His eyes scan your outfit and his eyes grow even wider. “And in our school uniform that is. Don’t tell me you’re actually a student here?”

You smile widely.

“(l/n) (f/n) of Kaijou’s international class program, second year, class 2. Yoroshikune~”

“K-Kasamatsu, you-you –“

One of his friends, with short black hair, parted to the right, finally gets himself together.

“Moriyama, Kobori, you guys go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later,” Kasamatsu cuts Moriyama off before he can finish his sentence. The boys are still gapping at you as if you would have two heads.

“Uhm . . . Hi, I’m (l/n) (f/n). You can just call me (f/n). I just moved here-“

“What are you two still doing here? You want to run suicides after practice?” Kasamatsu interrupts you, yelling at his friends.

_Run suicides? Oh . . . They must be on the basketball team as well._

You know Kasamatsu became the team captain and you can picture him taking his job seriously . . . if not too seriously. You smile apologetically at the boys, who nod at you in acknowledgement and leave you two alone.

“Now-“Kasamatsu turns back to you but you pout and interrupt him in the same way he interrupted you.

“Why didn’t you reply to my messages, Yukio?” you whine, “I must have left a ton of them!”

He blushes a little and scratches his head in embarrassment.

“Yeah, about that . . . I don’t have a phone at the moment. I accidentally broke it so I need to get a new one.”

You just gap at him. “Yu, how can you be phoneless when you live in Japan, one of the most technological states on the planet?”

“Hey, just because I’m Japanese, it doesn’t mean I have the latest technology you know! Don’t be stereotypical.”

He sighs then. “I’m going to get a new one as soon as possible, okay?”

You frown a little. “You don’t have to get a new phone just for my sake, you know.”

“Well, it appears that I do. What if you need me? You’re not used to this place, are you? You’re in Japan now, things are a little different here, as you probably already know.”

You smile at him. He was trying to act like he was being cool about it, but you know he’s actually worried about you. You pat his shoulder.

“Then I’ll be in your care, Yukio-senpai.”

Even his ears turn read when you call him “senpai”.

“Can I just call you Yukio? It’s weird to call you anything else,” you say, smiling apologetically. He scratches his head.

“You know that we have an age hierarchy here, right? It’s fine if you call me by my first name because we’ve known each other for quite some time and we’re friends, but you can’t call someone you’re not close to so casually, okay?”

“Okay. I just have to get used to it. You’re only a year older than I am so it’s kind of weird, you know,” you sigh.

“That’s how things work here. Besides, you’ll get used to it soon. It’s you after all. Haven’t you always had a thing for our culture and all?” He throws you a small smile.

You nod. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Yukio.”

He blushed again. “No problem. Do you need any help?”

You shrug, telling him the directions your teacher gave you. He nods and points down the corridor.

“Just turn right at the end of it. Your class should be the second one. Now hurry up if you don’t want to be late on your first day!”

There he was again, scolding you like a big brother. But you know that behind his cold demeanour, he cared about you.

“Alright, alright. I’m going. I hope my scene before won’t cause you too much trouble.”

He blushes again. You’ve never met a boy who would blush as much as him, but you also know that he’s having troubles talking to a girl and at the end of the day, even though you two are friends, you’re still a girl, and a foreign one that is.

“Don’t be stupid. You don’t have to apologise. It’s okay.” You nod and then blush when you finally ask him what you wanted to ask him this whole time.

“Uhm, Yukio? Can I meet you for the lunch break? I still don’t know anyone and you know me . . . I’m not really comfortable amongst total strangers.”

For a moment, he looks at you, obviously thinking about it. In the end, he leaves out a sigh.

“Okay, fine. You owe me big time, though. Where do you live now, by the way?”

You are beaming with happiness and relief because he said yes when you tell him your address. His eyes widen a little.

“That’s like one block away from my place. Damn it, where’s the phone when you need one,” he curses under his breath.

“Well, I first texted you yesterday and then early in the morning today. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, you can bet you gave me one nasty shock. Now move and go already. I wasn’t joking when I said the class is about to begin.”

Just like he predicted, you hear the sound of school bell.

“I really better get going. See you at lunch, Yukio!”

“Hey, just because I allow you to call me by my first name, don’t do it so casually,” he snaps at you and rolls his eyes.

You smile in reply and wave at him as you rush to your class, making just in time for the beginning of the lesson. As you stand in front of the classroom, you notice you don’t feel as uncomfortable as you have before. Meeting Kasamatsu took a lot of your worries away from you, so you smile at your new classmates as you bow and introduce yourself in both English and Japanese. Maybe it wasn’t going to be such a terrifying day after all.

* * *

 

“Tell me, (f/n)-chan. How did you manage to make Kasamatsu speak to you so casually?” asks Moriyama, as you, Kasamatsu, Kobori, and him sit together at the table in the school cafeteria.

“You want to be kicked, you playboy?” growls Kasamatsu at his teammate from the seat next to you. You chuckle a little. You quickly noticed Moriyama and Kobori are not that good with English so you try to use as much Japanese as you can.

“It wasn’t easy, to be honest. I barely got a word out of him when he arrived. He had no troubles speaking with my parents or other boys, but he barely talked to me. He was too busy blushing and stuttering. Until I discovered he’s actually a basketball maniac and this broke the ice.”

Kasamatsu throws you a shut-up-now look and scowls at Moriyama and Kobori who both have an ear-to-ear grin on their faces.

“Kasamatsu, you’ve never told us about (f/n)-chan! That’s so mean of you~” whines Moriyama. You look at Kasamatsu, confused. Was he ashamed of you? You suddenly feel a painful pressure on your chest and you look down at your food, embarrassed. You haven’t even considered an option that you might have troubled Kasamatsu. Kasamatsu notices the change in you and throws you a worried look.

“Of course I told you about her, you idiot! I told you I have a friend from (your country)!”

“You never said you had a girl friend! That’s why you didn’t want to show us the pictures! You wanted to keep her for yourself! (f/n)-chan, please don’t ignore us~” said Moriyama, looking at you. Even though Moriyama’s eyes were pretty narrow, his puppy eyes were still big.

“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you much! You’d keep pestering her!” scowled Kasamatsu at him. “Especially you! You flirt with anyone with a pulse and a skirt, you idiot!”

You blush and chuckle at his words, relieved to see Kasamatsu wasn’t really ashamed of you. You could tell he wasn’t comfortable because he knew he was going to get teased, but he was putting up with it because he cared about your feelings as well. Even though Kasamatsu was pretty clumsy, he was actually a very considerate person.

Moriyama looked horrified. “Captain, what are you talking about? (f/n)-chan is now going to think badly of me!”

You shake your head and dismiss his worries with your hand.

“No need to worry. I like to think that I am perfectly capable of creating an opinion on my own.”

Kobori smiles at you. “You know, (f/n)-chan, you’re actually one of the few persons with our captain’s permission to call him by his first name.”

Kasamatsu shot him a deadly glare but Kobori only smiles at him. “It’s not a bad thing, captain.”

“But who would’ve ever thought our captain can actually talk to a girl! And that hug! My soul nearly left my body,” said Moriyama and made a dramatic gesturing of grabbing his heart.

“Too bad it didn’t. I’d make sure it never comes back again,” muttered Kasamatsu, obviously extremely irritated by his friends. But then he noticed you smiling and he rolled his eyes at it. As long as you didn’t have that sad expression on your face, he was going to put up with almost everything.

“Yukio, behave! Aren’t they your teammates? It would be a bit hard to play basketball without them, wouldn’t it?”

“(f/n)-chan, do you like basketball?” asked Kobori.

Unlike Moriyama, who was obviously a bit silly (but in a good way), Kobori was more laid back type. While Moriyama obviously liked to be in the centre of attention, Kobori seemed like the type who preferred to stay out of the spotlight.

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been meaning to ask you! You’re so tall! Have you ever played it?” joins in Moriyama.

You shake your head. “My older brother used to play in the NBA and I went to his games quite often. But I never played myself or anything. I like watching basketball but I don’t like it enough to actually play it as well.”

“She’s actually really good at analysing the opponent,” smiled Kasamatsu a little. “She helped me out a few times while I was in the (your country).”

“You should totally come to our practice,” said Moriyama, giving you a seductive smile. The smile quickly disappeared when Kasamatsu swings arm at him and he just barely dogges it.

“Captain, that was dangerous!” he exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise while Kasamatsu looked really angry.

“Stop flirting with her, you idiot! You’re making her uncomfortable!”

He was right. Moriyama was harmless but his flirtatious behaviour was making you blush.

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop if (f/n)-chan comes to our practice.”

“Let the girl be, Moriyama. She’s just moved. Let her settle down first, no need to push her,” said Kobori and earned a grateful smile from you.

“But, Kasamatsu could walk her home then! It’s dangerous for a girl to walk alone. Especially if you unwillingly draw attention!”

Kasamatsu looks at you, his expression puzzled. Matter of facts, all three of them stare at you.

“Is there something on my face?” you ask, trying to sound cheerful although you almost choke on your words. It’s pretty embarrassing, having all three of them staring at you as if seeing you for the very first time.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, (f/n)-chan, but you stand out whether you want it or not. You could unwillingly and completely unknowingly attract the unwanted attention. It’s dangerous for you girls to walk home alone.” Moriyama studied you carefully, while Kobori nodded in agreement.

“Come to gym after you’re done with classes. You can do your homework there, if you wish. I’ll let the coach know.”

Kasamatsu’s voice was so stern it surprised all three of you. You just gapped at him. He blushed.

“D-Don’t you even try argue with me! I’m walking you home until you make some friends that can then-“

You smile widely at him: “Thanks, Yukio. But I’m afraid I can’t burden you much longer. It’s fine for today but don’t worry too much about me, okay? I’m a big girl. Like literally a big girl. No need to babysit me.”

Kasamatsu gives you his stop-being-stubborn look.

“I’m not going to let you walk home alone. Playeryama is right – there has been an increase in the attacks on the high school girls. Until those sick perverts are caught, you are not to go home alone, got it?”

With the corner of your eye, you notice the other two guys smiling a little at Kasamatsu. He’s totally being protective over you, like an older brother.

“But none of my classmates lives in the neighbourhood. I can’t burden you every single day.”

“(f/n), I’ll be seeing you at practice or else I swear I will talk to your parents to talk some sense into that thick head of yours.”

Even Moriyama and Kobori don’t dare to object. His eyes are dead serious, a warning written all over his face. When Kasamatsu is like this, you know there’s no point in arguing with him.

“Fine, fine. I promise I’ll come after my classes. Are the practices open to the public?”

“No, usually they aren’t, but I’ll talk to the coach.” He suddenly pats your head. “Don’t look so worried, it’s not a problem at all.”

Moriyama smiles widely at you. “Please make sure to cheer for me, (f/n)-chan~” You blush a little.

“Oi, Playeryama, shut up!” yells Kasamatsu at him, “I told you to stop flirting with her!”

Before Moriyama can reply, the sound of the bell is heard.

“I’ll see you at practice. You know where the gym is, right?”

You scratch your head. “Approximately. I’ll ask one of my classmates to give me the directions.”

Kasamatsu nods as he stands up. Before he leaves, his blue eyes scan you again. “And don’t look so worried, geez. It doesn’t look good on you.”

Moriyama and Kobori smile at you and wave you in goodbye. One of your classmates catches up with you on your way to the class.

“(l/n)-san, aren’t you scared?” You look at her in surprise. Her big brown eyes show genuine interest, her face is serious.

“Why should I be scared?” you ask, confused.

“Well, you were talking to Kasamatsu-senpai so casually. He’s a bit scary, isn’t he? Are you two close?”

You chuckle a little. “Yukio is just pretty clumsy around girls. It took me quite a while and a lot of patience to make him talk to me normally. But he’s not a bad guy, you know.”

“Yukio? Are you two on the first name basis? Wow, (l/n)-san, you really are brave.”

“Eh?” You really don’t know what she means by it.

“Everyone knows Kasamatsu-senpai is really strict about the hierarchy system, even within the team. I heard he yelled at their first year ace at his very first practice!”

Well, that did sound like Kasamatsu so you aren’t surprised.

“Yukio seems cold but he’s actually very attentive in his own way. He’s a good friend and a good guy. I really do hope he will be able to open up to the girls – the one who’s going to get him will be extremely lucky.”

You see your classmate blush but you don’t say anything.

“Anyway, you are Yumi-chan, right?” She nods, obviously relieved.

“Please, just call me (f/n). There’s no need to be formal with me, we’re in the same class after all.”

She smiles and nods again. You two talk until you reach the classroom and continue talking until the teacher arrives and begins the lesson.

* * *

 

“Hey, Yumi-chan. Can you tell me the way to the gym?” you ask her, after you’re done with all the classes.

“Do you want me to take you there? It would be a lot easier for you.”

“Would it be alright if I ask you this? I don’t want to burden you,” you reply.

She shakes her head. “Not at all. I bet it must be confusing, the school is enormous!”

“Tell me about it,” you chuckle and she joins you.

“Why do you want to go the gym? It’s the basketball practice now and they’re not open to the public, unless on certain days.”

“Yukio is being stubborn and won’t let me walk home alone because they are supposed to be a lot of assaults going on, so he told me to come to the practice so we can walk home together. He lives nearby.”

She chuckles at the tone of your voice. “I see. But you can be really lucky to have a friend like this, you know. Not a lot of boys would do it.”

“Yukio is like an older brother to me. It can get pretty annoying at times, when he’s so overprotective. I mean, do I look like I would need protection?” You’re tall and quite muscular. You’re not the skinny girl since you love food. You don’t particularly care about your plain looks. You doubt you’d attract any other sort of attention, rather than curiosity because of your race.

“It’s still cute,” she chuckles and stops in front of the massive building. You can hear the squeaking of the shoes and sounds of ball handling coming from the inside, accompanied by the shouts.

“Well, this is it. Good luck, (f/n)-chan. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She waves at you in goodbye and leaves you standing in front of the gym.

You gulp, already feeling the blood gathering in your head. The heat in your cheeks is almost unbearable.

_Oh god, I can’t believe I’m really doing this._

You open the doors and slip into the gym. At first, no one notices you. All the boys seemed to be completely immersed into practice. You see Kasamatsu standing on the side-line with a chubby man next to him. They are having a conversation, while watching the players. You try to simply sit down unnoticed but then you hear a loud shout:“Look out!”

You instinctively raise your arm. It was a close call. Your arm deflects the ball into the air and you catch it, confused. All eyes in the gym turn to you, as you stand there with the ball in your hands, not knowing what just happened.

“Ah, (f/n)-chan! You made it! Are you alright?” exclaims Moriyama who rushes towards you.

“Hey, Kei! I told you not to make just random passes!” he yells at one of the guys, that bows deeply.

“I’m sorry!”

You shake your head, still confused. “I’m fine, no worries. It happens.”

You hand Moriyama the ball because you don’t know what else to do with it.

“Did you see how she reacted?” slowly starts spreading around the gym.

“That’s enough! We don’t have time to fool around, go back to what you were doing!” Kasamatsu yells at them, as he is coming near you.

“Or do you want to have additional leg practice?”

The words have a magical effect and you’re no longer in the centre of the attention.

“Are you okay?” Kasamatsu asks you as he comes near you. You nod.

“You’re really an idiot, you know, entering the gym just like this! What if the ball hit your head?” he scowls at you.

“It didn’t. And it wouldn’t be the first one either. Seriously, Yukio, who do you take me for? I won’t pass out from receiving a pass with my head, you know,” you scowl back at him. It’s not like it’s your fault!

“You must be (l/n)-san. Kasamatsu asked me whether you can stop by at practice today. I am Takeuchi Genta, coach of the boys basketball team.”

You bow to him, feeling embarrassed because you snapped at Kasamatsu a bit.

“I am sorry to intrude and caused troubles. Please, call me (f/n). Thank you for letting me stay today. If I understood correctly, the practices are closed for the public.”

The coach nods. “It’s no troubles at all. It’s unusual for Kasamatsu to ask me a favour. You’re welcome to stay.”

He then turns to Kasamatsu next to you. “I made an exception for today, but if I understood correctly, you didn’t ask me to allow her to stay just this time, did you?”

Kasamatsu is serious when he nods: “No, it was not just for this once.”

The coach sighs and scratches his head. “I hope you two can both understand that this can cause a stir. It would be highly unjust to allow one person with no position in the team to come to our practices, while everyone else is forbidden to come. I can’t keep on making such an exception, even if it’s you, Kasamatsu-kun.”

Kasamatsu clenches his fists. “I understand.”

The coach looks at you and you can feel him closely studying you. “Kasamatsu told me you’re good at making the analyses. Your brother also played basketball, right?”

“He played in the NBA,” you reply simply, stealing a secret glance at Kasamatsu. He obviously spoke a lot about you.

The coach’s face suddenly brightens up. “We have a vacant manager position. Do you have any experiences with it?”

“Well, not directly. I did help my brother after practice and my mom is a physiotherapist so I learned something from her. I helped my brother with the analyses as well.”

“I will give you a trial week and see how you do. If the team is happy with you and you do your job properly, the position is yours and I get my captain back. We can’t afford to be distracted and not fully concentrated on the practice.”

Kasamatsu bows his head in gratitude and elbows you to do the same.

“T-Thank you very much. I will do my best!” you stutter, still confused.

“Bring me the application form tomorrow, alright?” asks the coach, with a small smile on his lips.

“I-I will make sure to do so,” you reply. You still haven’t grasped the situation. How did it come to this?

“Well, do your best,” says Kasamatsu and leaves you standing there like an idiot, as he joins the team.

“Everyone, gather up!” the coach yells and all the players line up in a perfectly straight line. The coach grabs your arms and gently pulls you next to him. Some of the guys chuckle as you clumsily stop, red like a lobster.

“This is (l/n) (f/n), she just moved here from (your country). She is a candidate for the manager position, so please be nice to her.”

“Yo-Yoroshiku onegaishimasu,” you stutter and bow.

“Yoroshiku onegaishimasu,” reply the boys and return the bow, while Moriyama and Kobori also smile at you.

“Now, get back to practice. We’ve had enough interruptions,” yells the coach, making you flinch.

“You can meet the others while the break. The towels are in the room in the back. Please make sure that the boys have enough water and if you have any comment, let me know,” says the coach to you.

You nod. You know he doesn’t mean to sound strict but this is your trial week and you have to do your best or else you have a feeling Kasamatsu is going to be after your head.

 _How did I get into this situation?_ you keep asking yourself as you are handing out the towels to the boys.

Their practice is really exhausting and there is none who wouldn’t be broken in sweat.

“Thanks, (f/n)-chan,” says Moriyama as you hand him the towel.

There is no trace of his usual smirk although he does manage a tired smile.

“Damn, my legs are killing me,” he whines. You hand him the water as well.

“Do you mind if I take a look?” you ask.

Moriyama is surprised but he shakes his head. “Not at all.”

“Sit down,” you say and press some points on his lower leg. He twitches in pain.

“Your muscles are really tight. I won’t massage them now because you still have practice to do, but come after practice. I’ll ask my mum to give me a muscle gel. Also, do you own massage after you go home or ask a family member to do it. And don’t forget to stretch them after the practice.”

You suddenly turn to Kasamatsu and grab his leg.

“OW!” he yells. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” You ignore him.

“Thought so. Anyone else?”

Almost half of the team raises their hands, some looking pretty uncomfortable. You sigh and stand up.

“I guess I have no choice. Yukio, take your time today. I can’t ignore this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you don’t want to have injuries on your team, do you? It’s not just practice, it’s also the rest and the rehabilitation time you give to your muscles to regenerate that are important. You can’t just practice like crazy without a rest.” You notice the coach slightly smiling at you.

“She is right, boys. Make sure you pay attention to that as well. You can go all out during the practice but take it easy outside of the gym. Don’t overstrain yourself.”

“Hai!” they all reply and bow. “Thank you for your advice.”

You are confused when the repeat the gesture for you. “N-Not at all,” you stutter.

“Now, let’s continue!” Kasamatsu looks at you one more time, smiling a little. He doesn’t say anything when he returns to the court, but he doesn’t have to. You know he’s trying to say that you’re doing well. You pick up the sweaty towels (you’re not at all happy because of it) and fill the empty bottles with fresh water.

“(f/n)-chan, come here for a second,” the coach calls you to his side once you come back. “Observe the players and tell me what you think.”

You do as you are told, knowing this is going to continue for a week. Your eyes narrow as you observe the games.

“I don’t know how Moriyama manages to score a basket with that . . . well, throw of his. It doesn’t make any sense but I’d say it’s the rotation of the ball and the point of the release that make this unorthodox shot successful,” you say after a while.

“Yukio’s strengths are his speed and the ball handling skills. His dribble has improved as well. If he could take his drive one notch higher, it’d be even more difficult to stop it. His upper body is still a little bit too stiff though.”

The coach doesn’t say anything so you continue.

“Kobori is a solid centre and, aside from Yukio, the centre of the team morale. I can understand why you made him the vice-captain, coach. He is calm but seems to be really competitive when pushed. He hasn’t shown his full potential yet. His build is strong but he should work on the muscles.”

And so you go on, until you have mentioned every single player. You still don’t know all of their names, but the coach seems to know about whom you are talking about.

“Not bad, (f/n)-chan. I see Kasamatsu wasn’t overreacting when he said you’re good at analysing. You still have our ace to meet. He had a photoshoot coming up so he couldn’t be here today. I am really curious what you’re going to say about him.”

“A photoshoot?”

The coach nodded, although he didn’t look pleased with it.

“I let him go just this once but I made it loud and clear that this can’t happen again. He’s the key to the winning the nationals.”

You gap at the coach. You don’t know much about the Japanese basketball so you decide to ask Kasamatsu about it later. Yet, you can tell Kaijou is a powerhouse school.

“The team is strong. With hard work and improvement, I believe the boys can continue to evolve. There is a lot of potential here.”

The coach nods and ends the practice. Moriyama drops down on the floor next to you.

“I can’t move,” he whines, catching his breath.

“I’ll be right there with you. Yukio, Kobori-san, Hayakawa-san, Nakamura-san and Yamada-san, please sit down as well. As for the others, please come a little early tomorrow and I will massage your legs with the muscle gel before the practice.”

They all nod and the ones whose names you call really do sit down without much questions. Some seemed surprised though.

“(Cap)tain, do yo(u) kn(ow) thi(s) gi(rl)?” asks Hayakawa, a power forward in your year.

“Huh? Speak clearly, you idiot!” yells Kasamatsu at him, shaking his head. Hayakawa’s Japanese is a riddle to most of the team.

“He asked if you know this girl,” said Nakamura next to him, although he doesn’t look sure whether Hayakawa really said that.

“Oh, yeah. I know her. She’s a . . . well, she’s a friend of mine,” he says and blushes. All of the boys, except for Kobori and Moriyama go completely still.

“Is this supposed to be a joke?” asks Nakamura, looking at Kobori. The vice-captain smiles and shakes his head.

“Trust me, we thought the same thing. But they’re actually friends, as unbelievable as it sounds. It seems that (f/n)-chan somehow manages to make our captain forget that she’s a girl.”

“Shut up, or do you have a death wish? It’s not that surprising I have a friend who is a girl! I’m eighteen years old for heaven’s sake!”

You smile as you massage Moriyama’s leg. “This should do for now. Remember what I’ve told you and make sure you warm those muscles up tomorrow, okay? I’ll bring the hot gel with me so please come soon enough that I can put it on.”

He nods and beams a blinding smile at you. “Thanks, (f/n)! You saved my life!”

“Oi! Don’t just casually drop the suffixes!” yells Kasamatsu at him.

“Are you jealous, captain~?” asks Moriyama as you roll your eyes at both of them.

“It’s not a big deal, Yukio. Everyone can call me by my first name without suffixes. You’re forgetting this is normal in (your country). It makes me feel at home.” You smile at Kasamatsu, winking at him.

“I will do as you told me to, but I don’t mind if the others call out to me so casually. I might become the team manager you know. If you guys are going to be happy with me, that is.”

You look down to focus on Kobori’s legs so you miss the look of you-better-like-her-or-else Kasamatsu gives to his team members. They all try to keep the serious face but they fail.

“What are you all smiling at?” you ask when you catch them smiling.

“Nothing, nothing. We must be so tired we can’t even control our faces,” says Kobori and you shake your head at them.

“You really shouldn’t overdo it. Please take care of yourselves as well.” They all nod and you continue with the massage until all of them are done.

“(f/n), could you please lock the balls? I’ll be quick, so just wait me here.”

You nod as Kasamatsu and the boys leave for the locker room. You check whether the balls are clean and then lock them. You push the trolley with them into the equipment room and sit down on the chair, as you have nothing better to do anyways.

_What a first day. Who would’ve thought. Me being a manager? Oh god . . ._

You wanted to have a peaceful year but you have a feeling you’ve signed up for a bumpy ride.


	2. Not Everyone Will Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter is out! I have some chapters written already so I'll be able to publish them quite often. I'll try not to have too much of a gap in-between the published chapters, but I have three others projects I'm working on simultaneously.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Feel free to leave Kudos if you like the story, and share your thoughts in the comments! ^^   
> If you have any questions regarding the story, characters or elements/words found in the story, feel free to ask them as well!

* (f/n) - first name

  (l/n) - last name

  (your brother's name) - feel free to choose a name for your story-brother

  (country's name) - insert any name of the country you wish

 

Kasamatsu locks the doors of the gym and you two start walking.

“Hey, Yukio,” you call out to him, breaking the silence. He flinches a little – he too was obviously in deep thoughts.

“What?”

“Do you think I can do it? Can I really be the team’s manager?”

He looks at you, confused.

“Why would you ask this?”

You shrug. “I don’t know . . . it’s not like I’ve done anything like this before. I don’t want to cause troubles.”

He sighs. “I don’t whether you can do it or not. This is up to you, not me. I don’t see a reason why you couldn’t do it just because it’s something you’ve never done before. You’re a fast learner, aren’t you? You can’t always keep worrying about every single little thing, you know, and keep depending on the others. There are things you can only do with your own strength.”

_My own strength?_

It sounded interesting. You know he is right. He knows you very well. Perhaps it’s time for you to finally take the initiative for once and try to do something on your own.

“I’ll do so. I’ll work hard.”

“You sound like a Japanese,” he smiles a little.

“Is that a bad thing?” you ask, confused.

“Not at all. You’ve always been something else, you know. I mean, you even got me to talk to you.”

You chuckle at his indirect compliment and he blushes, putting his hands into his uniform pockets. You two walk in silence for a while, when you suddenly remember you have a question to ask.

“Takeuchi-kantoku told me that team’s ace was absent today.”

A vein appears on Kasamatsu’s forehead.

“Tch, don’t even mention him.”

“Is he really a model?”

“It’s his part-time job. He’s lucky he’s so good at basketball. I can’t believe his guts. First years should show some respect to the elders.”

“He’s only a first year and a team’s ace,” you say, with a hint of admiration in your voice. Kasamatsu sighs.

“He’s a monster on his own. You’ll understand once you see him. Our coach managed to get his hands on him. It’s unfair, you know . . . Kiseki no sedai pisses me off.”

“Generation of miracles?” you say, surprised, translating the name to yourself.

“A group of absurdly talented first years, basketball prodigies born in the same decade. Together with Kise, our ace, they attended the Teiko middle school. Even though their middle school has a long tradition of the powerhouse middle school, they were the strongest line-up in its whole history, and I doubt there’s ever going to be such a ridiculously strong line-up again.”

“Are they really that good?” you ask, getting the chills. If Kasamatsu spoke so highly about them . . .

“They’re monsters. You’ll see for yourself. Kise only started playing basketball in middle school but his progress . . .” He suddenly bursts: “If he weren’t that good, I’d kill him for not showing up today! If he ever cancels practice again, he’s a dead meat! What does that idiot think he’s doing? Kiseki no sedai, my ass! He’s going to get suicides tomorrow! We should be preparing for the Inter-High with all we’ve got! This year’s my last chance for the medal.”

You two stop, and he is breathing heavily. You are taken by the surprise by his outburst but you can tell how much basketball means to him. You understand the burden he is carrying. You still haven’t forgotten the tears he tried to hide when you two Skyped last year when he made a wrong pass in the last breaths of the game, that allowed the opponents to win in the end. You hug him, because you don’t know what else to do.

“Listen, Yukio. Your team is strong. I’m sure everyone feels the same way. Your job as a captain is to lead them and give them hope when everything else fails. That’s what being the captain means. I know it’s a huge burden but if anyone can do it, you can. I’ve never seen anyone practice as hard as you do! I’m sure we’ll make it this year! I’ll do my best to support you and the team!”

You hear him chuckle as he gently pushes you away and ruffles your hair.

“Thanks, kiddo. I guess I needed to hear that. After last year . . . well, it’s been hard.”

“Basketball is a team sport. It’s never only one player responsible, get this into this thick head of yours! You made the wrong pass, so what? And all the other four haven’t made a single mistake in the whole game? Don’t just go and take the whole blame by yourself and shoulder the whole burden by yourself when the team is supposed to be carrying the burden together. You didn’t lose that match, okay? The past is in the past. You think my brother never messed up? The only thing you can do is to get up and try to do better next time by practicing. If you do everything you can possibly can and give your all, even if things don’t go your way, you have no regrets. That’s what I learned from watching my brother. You should do the same, too. You’re a good player, Yukio. You just need to start believing it as well.”

He looks surprised by your angry tone. Your hands are on your hips and you are frowning at him. He suddenly starts laughing.

“You know, (f/n), I’m really glad you’re here.” He pats your shoulders and continues walking. You’re just standing in the middle of the street, frozen on the spot because he just openly admitted he’s happy to see you.

_This is a first._

“Oi, don’t just stand there! I want to get home before the morning comes, you know! Weren’t you lecturing us about the whole regeneration and rehabilitation or whatever –ation thing before?”

You smile, warmness spreading in your chest.

“Yo, wait up! Don’t leave me behind!”

“Stop yelling, you’re causing the scene!” he yells back at you. You only laugh at his ridiculousness as you catch up with him.

“Hey, Yukio?”

“What now, woman? Can’t you be quiet for more than a minute?” he complains.

“I’m really glad I’m here, too.”

You smile when you see him blushing in the light of the street lights. You two continue on your way in silence but it doesn’t bother you. You’re hopeful for the future.

* * *

 

“Ehhhh? You’re the manager of the basketball team?”

“Shhh, Yumi-chan! Not so loud,” you say after some heads turned to you. “I told you I’m just a trial member for now. It’s not fixed yet.”

You are walking towards the cafeteria with Yumi, telling her about yesterday.

“I’m so jealous, (f/n)-chan! How did you do it?”

You shrug. “I’m not even sure myself. The coach suddenly said that they need a manager and that’s he going to give me a week to prove myself.”

“I thought you didn’t play basketball.”

“I didn’t. I mean, I don’t. My brother used to play in the NBA. So I’m not that unfamiliar with it, you know.”

“Your brother was an NBA player?!”

You thought she was going to pass out. You put a hand over her mouth.

“Not so loud!”

She nods, her eyes almost have stars in them.

“This is so awesome! What’s his name.”

“(your brother’s name) (l/n). I mean, (l/n) (your brother’s name).”You remember that it is a custum to put the last name before the first name in Japan. 

“Oh my god, _the_ (l/n) (your brother’s name)? Wasn’t he, like, one of the top players?”

You’re so glad Yumi can speak English so well so that the others, who don’t, can’t really eavesdrop on your conversation.

“Yup, he was.”

“I thought your last name sounded familiar but I thought it was a coincidence. Oh my god, I didn’t know he has a sister.”

“That’s me.”

“He’s quite older than you, isn’t he?”

You nod. “Yeah. He’s turning thirty-five this year. He’s eighteen years older than me.”

“He must really spoil you then.”

You chuckle. “He does, but he’s also really protective over me. You wouldn’t believe how similar he and Yukio are. No wonder they’ve gotten along so well.”

“Kasamatsu-senpai and your brother know each other?”

“Yup, my brother thought Yukio his distinctive drive. And Yukio started wearing those knee-high socks of his ever since my brother gave him the first pair. I believe he still sends him a pair every year for Christmas.”

“How awesome is that!”

You chuckle at her enthusiasm. “You’ll probably going to ask for my brother’s autograph now, won’t you?”

She squeals as she grabs your arms in an affectional way. “Can I get one? I’ll treasure it forever!”

You roll your eyes dramatically, pretending to be shocked.

“You look like I just bought you a car for your birthday.”

“I don’t need a car. (your brother’s name) signed photo will be more than enough! Uhm . . . could you get me two? My brother is a huge fan of your brother too. He’s not going to believe me when I tell him.”

“I’ll write him to send me two. I’m sure he still has them somewhere. What’s your brother’s name?”

“Takuya.”

“Okay, I’ll ask him to include a dedication as well.”

“(f/n)-chan, you’re the best!” She hugs you, ignoring all the looks she’s getting for clinging onto you. You laugh as you pat her on the back.

“I’ll remember this. How about we grab some lunch?”

“Oh yes, I’m starving. Those math classes are killing me. My brains hurt.”

You are sympathising with her. Math is also not your strong subject. You two continue talking until you reach the cafeteria.

“Yo, (f/n)-chan! Over here!” Moriyama waves at you from the table where he is sitting. Kasamatsu and Kobori are also with him.

“Not so loud, you idiot!” Kasamatsu slaps Moriyama on the head, annoyed.

“I’ll catch up with you later, (f/n)-chan. I am meeting my friend from the other class. See you after lunch!” Yumi smiles and winks at you.

“You’re hopeless,” you chuckle and wave at her as she leaves.

“Did you already make a friend?” Moriyama asks you as you sit down next to Kobori, facing Kasamatsu.

“She’s in my class and really sweet. Apparently, she transferred into this class at the same time as me so we both didn’t know anyone. So we sit together and everything,” you reply, taking your lunch box out.

“She’s cute. What’s her name?”

You shot him a warning stare. “She’s not within your limits, Moriyama-kun. Stay away from here or else I’ll make sure to make the massage exceptionally painful.”

Kasamatsu bursts into laughter, while Kobori also smiles widely. Moriyama looks shocked.

“She’s figured you out really soon,” says the vice-captain, patting Moriyama on the shoulder. You chuckle as well.

“I’m just kidding, Moriyama-kun. But you should be a role-model for the others as a senpai. You can’t just flirt with anyone. Your reputation is going to get so bad you’re never going to get yourself a girlfriend.”

“Aww, is (f/n)-chan worried about me~?” he asks, winking at you.

“A little. I’m more worried about the other girls, though. Stay away from my friend and we’ll get along just fine~ˇ” you reply, winking back at him.

“She beat you at your own game,” laughs Kasamatsu, patting your shoulder. “I see I don’t have to worry about seeing you in the Moriyama's fan section.”

“Hey, don’t be mean!” Moriyama exclaims, offended. “What do you mean my section?”

“Well, there’s still Kise. He’s got the largest fan-club base in the school,” smiles Kobori. You remember the name from your conversation with Kasamatsu from the other day.

“It’s annoying. I’ve lost the count how many times I kicked him when his fan-girls wouldn’t shut up.”

“Fan-girls? At the practice?” you ask, confused.

“He’s always surrounded by girls. Why do you think we made our practices private and secluded? It was unbearable!” said Kasamatsu, his angry vein popping out on his forehead again – a clear sign he was pissed.

“I can imagine . . . and you were probably jealous as well,” you tease them all, chuckling at the faces they all made.

“Jealous? Don’t be ridiculous! Why would I be jealous?!” exclaim Moriyama and Kasamatsu at the same time, while even Kobori looks slightly annoyed.

“Well, he has more girls throwing at him as Moriyama and he obviously also has no problem dealing with them as you do, Yukio. I’d say jealousy is the right word to describe your feelings.”

You take a bite of your lunch, smiling at them. “Relax, guys. I’m sure you’re going to find someone. Why would you want to have a girl who is ready to go to such lengths as following him to the practice and has absolutely no respect for the other members, and for Kise himself, that is? He’s only a first year, if I understand. It’s not like he’s an idol or something. They’re only crazy about him because he probably looks good. Get a girl who can also see past the looks and doesn’t lose her head over every good looking guy.”

“(f/n)-chan, that was beautiful~” says Moriyama, blinking at you.

“Let’s see how you react when you first see Kise,” smiled Kasamatsu. “I’m sure you’re going to understand us better when you see what a commotion he usually causes.”

You shrug. “I can promise you I won’t start screaming, crying and that I won’t pass out. I won’t ask him for an autograph or to take a photo with me. He’s a member of the basketball team, isn’t he? He’s the ace, if I understood correctly. Aside from Yukio, he’s the one shouldering the biggest burden. Aces always carry the hopes of their team. While the captain is the mental pillar of strength, ace pulls the team after him when things get difficult. He’s your teammate. I’m sure he’s also not really happy with constantly being followed every day.”

“Well, he did tell them to calm down or leave, but they refused. Kise has an easy-going personality; it’s not in his nature to be as mean as Kasamatsu, no offense. But I doubt he minds the attention either.”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t know him. But as his teammates, you should probably show him some support and try to put yourself in his shoes.”

As you look up, you see all three have a gloomy face and teary eyes.

“We did,” they all say at the same time and look at you. You flinch by the anger in their eyes.

“And it only made us feel jealous.”

 _Well . . . at least they admitted it_.

* * *

 

“This is going to burn once the gel starts working, but bear with it. It helps to warm up your muscle and keeps it warm. After the practice is done, I’ll massage your muscles because I couldn’t do it yesterday. Is it alright with you?” you say to the boys and none complains.

“(f/n)-chan, when you said ‘burn’ . . . how bad is it?” asks you Moriyama once you rub the gel into his legs.

“Burn. You’ll definitely feel it. Now excuse me, I have to wash my hands. Don’t want to keep this on without a reason.”

You run away, laughing at his shocked expression. You don’t pay attention to your surroundings so you bump into someone. You’re not the type who would easily bounce back but you are forced to catch your balance.

“Ouch,” you say quietly. You’re surprised when you have to look up. The guy you just bumped into is huge. His golden eyes study you, as he leans his head to the side a little.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention where I was going,” you quickly apologise.

“Are you okay?” he asks you at the same time, his voice kind, but his golden eyes remain somewhat cold.

“Yeah, and you?”

He chuckles a little. “I won’t die just because a girl bumped into me. By the way, you really should hurry up and get out of here before Kasamatsu-senpai sees you.”

He winks at you before he passes you, patting your shoulder. You just gap after him. His handsome face, his height, his eyes, the aura he radiates . . . if your six sense isn’t wrong, you’ve just met Kise, the ace of the Kaijou high school.

_He seems nice enough. A little arrogant maybe. Well, it’s obvious why he’s a model. He’s really good looking, if you like baby face types. But what did he mean with those words that Yukio would get mad if he saw me? He did see me coming and didn’t say anything . . . why should he be mad, I didn’t do anything wrong._

You carefully wash your hands and head back into the gym. The boys are already warming up. Kise looks up, a surprise evident on his face. As Kasamatsu is about to turn at the sound of the gym doors opening, he quickly interferes.

“Kasamatsu-senpai, I have something to tell you!” You frown as he gives you a signal to get out.

_What does this idiot think he’s doing?_

“Don’t yell, it can’t be that important! I don’t care with which model you had a photoshoot or in which magazine will the pictures get published!” Kasamatsu obviously seems annoyed with him so you chuckle. Kise looks at you as if you had lost your mind.

“Oi, (f/n)! This is the idiot I was telling you about the other day. He’s Kise Ryouta, the stupidest ace ever to walk the halls of this school.”

Kise’s jaw hits the floor when he sees his captain speaking so casually to the girl that bumped into him before. And even more surprising is that he’s not mad because she’s in the gym.

“Senpai, who is that?” he finally asks.

“Huh?” Kasamatsu turns back to him, vein popping out. “If you had been at the practice yesterday, you wouldn’t have to ask such stupid questions! This is (l/n) (f/n), our candidate for the manager’s position. Got a problem with that?”

Kise quickly shakes his head, looking like a lost puppy.

“Yukio, don’t be so mean. You’re scaring the hell out of him. Nice to meet you, Kise-kun. You can just call me (f/n),” you smile at the shocked blonde guy and turn to Kasamatsu then. “By the way, Yukio, are you by any chance mad at me?”

Kasamatsu looks at you as if you would grew a second head. Kise too seemes completely lost. You just casually called the captain by his first name and he hasn’t lost it.

“Huh? Why would I be mad at you?”

You look confused at Kise who is shaking his head. This guy really is funny. You smile at Kasamatsu instead.

“You always seem to be mad at me, Yukio.”

“Don’t be stupid, (f/n). Don’t you have work to do?”

“Already on it,” you say and wink at him. “I’ll be watching you, Kise-kun. You seem to be the special case. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

As you walk away, Kise looks at Kasamatsu in utter shock.

“Senpai, you just spoke-“

“To a girl.”

“She called you by-“

“My first name, I’m aware of it.”

“She’s not-“

“A Japanese, neither your fan-girl.”

“But she-“

“Speaks some Japanese, yes.”

“Is she-“

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Kasamatsu looks at poor Kise with a bored look.

“Now would you mind? We have practice to do.”

As Kise wants to go away, Kasamatsu suddenly grabs his collar and pulls him closer. “Don’t try anything funny with her, Kise. I’m warning you.”

Kise gulps and smiles confused. “Why would you say that, senpai?”

“No reason.” Kasamatsu lets him go. “Let’s go. Show her what you’ve got and don’t let my praise go to waste.”

Kise’s face brightened up. “Eh? Senpai actually praised –“

“Shut up and get to work! And if you ever skip practice again, I’ll hit you so hard your face won’t be suited for the modelling work anymore.”

Kise smiles slightly as the captain runs towards the others.

 _I’m just glad he forgot to kick me,_ he thinks for himself and runs after Kasamatsu, while you closely observe him as you take your place next to the coach. You also have a notebook prepared. You wrote everything what you noticed yesterday in it already, leaving some space for additional notes. From what Kasamatsu told you, you are expecting quite a lot from Kise.

“I bet Kasamatsu already told you about Kise,” said the coach with a slight smile on his lips. You nod, not looking away.

“He has. He told me he was part of Kiseki no Sedai. The last member to start playing basketball out of them.”

The coach looks at you, surprised.

“I made Yukio, I mean Kasamatsu, lend me the issue of the basketball magazine that featured the members of Kiseki no Sedai.”

You look at coach and smile. “When I set my mind on something, I make sure to do the research thoroughly and precisely.”

The coach smiles a little.

“Well, I have received your application form. Let’s see how you do.”

You nod and shift your attention back to the players. You make notes for each player, scribbling as fast as you can. At the moment, a chicken would probably write nicer than you, but you have to be quick about it. Kasamatsu wasn’t lying about Kise. He had something in the air around him that set him apart from the other players. His skills were on a different level.

“Is he . . . Is he copying the moves of the other players?” you ask, stunned, almost dropping the pen.

“Very good, (f/n)-chan. Kise is known as a copy-cat. He can do the moves he sees and deems as useful. He also makes them his own, adding his own tempo and power. He’s a naturally gifted athlete. He’d do well in any sport.”

_This is absurd! How can anyone be this naturally talented?_

“He certainly chose the right sport. I can imagine even my brother possibly having some problems with him,” you say, unknowingly out-loud.

“Probably not. Your brother was an exceptional player. Too bad he retired so soon. Kise is talented but he still has room for improvement. He needs a rival that would bring out the very best in him. Not to mention he is only sixteen. He can't do the movements on such a high level as NBA. His body is still growing and developing. But no doubt he's going to be able to stand against the best of the best one day. For now, at his current level, neither we nor he has found such an opponent, other than other members of Kiseki no Sedai, and Kise would need a rival to grow.”

“True. He is, if I may say so, a monster. His physical abilities and his muscles aren’t something you’d expect a sixteen-year-old to possess.” You look closely at Kise, observing his moves. “He sure has stamina, but his movements aren’t as swift as they appear. I wonder . . . He is part of the team, but does he play for the team as well?”

You mutter the last words very quietly but the coach hears you nevertheless. He doesn’t say anything though, but only closely observes you. You blush and remain quiet, taking notes when you notice something exceptional.

“Take a five!” eventually yells Takeuchi. The players rush to the bottles of water and take the towels you prepared for them beforehand.

“What do you think?” asks you Kasamatsu, his eyes briefly gazing at the notebook you’re pressing to your chest.

“He’s good. And he hasn’t even shown the best of his abilities.”

Kasamatsu’s vein pops out again. “Oi, Kise! Are you holding back on us?”

Kise almost chokes on the water he is about to drink. “Whaaat? Why would you say something like that all of asudden, Kasamatsu-senpai?”

You shrug. “It’s just my personal opinion, Yukio. You know I believe it’s impossible for an athlete to practice at one hundred percent of his or her abilities. The match is a different story.The adrenaline, the excitement, the thrill, the itching to finally be able to get on the court and show what you’ve got . . . It’s something you can’t experience at a mere practice.”

Kasamatsu throws you a questioning look. “You really do miss sport, don’t you?”

You blush, looking to the floor. “It’s behind me . . . But yes, I do miss it.”

“What do you miss, (f/n)-chan?” asks Moriyama, suddenly appearing next to you out of nowhere. You jump, leaving out a high-pitched squeal, followed by a cuss that makes the whole team laugh.

“Moriyama-kun, don’t sneak behind my back so casually if you want me to have a long life!”

Moriyama apologetically raises his hands, but he can’t supress the wide smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t know you can make such a cute voice.”

Kasamatsu looks murderous.

“Hey, Kobori-senpai. Does Kasamatsu-senpai like (f/n)?” Kise leans to the vice-captain next to him. The centre shrugs.

“I’m not sure. She definitely means a lot to him, but I don’t know whether he has any romantic interest towards her. From what I’ve seen, they have a sibling-like relationship. She’s like a younger sister to him.”

“He’s quite protective over her. He even warned me to stay away.”

Kobori smiles. “Probably because he wouldn’t want to see her get trampled by your crazy fan-girls that follow you everywhere.”

“I can’t help that I’m famous,” smiles Kise apologetically, scratching his head.

“Kise, go die,” scowls Kasamatsu who hears the last part.

“Yuu, don’t be such a bully~” you whine, shaking your head at your friend.

“Don’t call me like that!” the boy exclaims, completely outraged.

“Yeah, Yuu. Don’t be such a meanie,” teases him Moriyama, while the other team has rather turned away than let Kasamatsu see their wide smiles and teary eyes. Kasamatsu blushes to the tips of his ears.

“Oi, Playeryama, you’re just asking for me to kick you. If you have time to mess around, then I’m sure you have enough energy to run suicides, don’t you?”

The mention of the suicides obviously works miracles. The whole team is suddenly serious again. You chuckle.

“You really are scary, Yukio.”

“You’re obviously immune to it,” he mutters, rolling his eyes.

“If I survived the nagging of my brother, I’ll survive everything, including you trying to intimidate me.”

“Hey, (f/n)-chan . . . Is it true your brother is (l/n) (your brother’s name), the former NBA player and five times All-star team member?” asks one of the players, whose voice you don’trecognize. Kise’s eyes widen.

“Yes. I’m (your brother’s name)'s younger sister.”

“Ehhhhh? You’re his younger sister? That’s awesome!”

You’re surprised when Kise suddenly jumps in front of you, his golden eyes full of excitement, showing some proper emotion towards you for the first time.

“Hey Kise, don’t just suddenly attack her,” scolds him Moriyama, pushing him away from you. You are still startled by Kise’s sudden movement. He sure is fast.

 _Well, may I be damned but this boy is really good looking . . ._ but he reminds me of a puppy. You keep your cool as you promised to Kasamatsu.

“Yes, Kise-kun. I’m his sister. So trust me, I know how difficult sport a basketball can be.” You look him straight into the eyes: “But as long as you have a purpose, everything you do has a meaning. Giving your best and sticking together as a team is everything anyone can ask of you. There is no “I” in team. There’s only “we” and “us”. Individuals work hard so that they improve themselves and the team’s strength. But in the end, basketball is a team sport. It doesn’t matter if one player scores forty points when his team still loses in the end. Individual wins seldom brings one a banner, but the team’s achievements remain. Teamwork of the talented individuals is what makes one team strong. And in reverse, the team is only as strong as its members. There's co-relation between the two.”

Kise looks like he is about to say something but Kasamatsu interrupts him before he has the chance to speak. A certain look in blond-haired guy’s eyes tells you this topic isn’t finished yet. You return him the stare, converting the dare for him to challenge you to your eyes.

“Our break is over; we still have work to do. Everybody, get on the line.”

The boys obey him without a word, even Kise, although he’s the last to reach the assigned line. You notice Kasamatsu is really respected.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less of (your brother’s name)’s sister. I once read an interview with him when he said similar to what you have just said to them.” Takeuchi is standing next to you once again, watching the players do their sprints.

“I summed up my brother’s words because I agree with them. I won’t belittle the role of an individual for the team. A strong team is made of strong individuals. But it isn’t a team unless they can find the common part and put each other’s talent to the best use. The player gets the points he scores on the paper, but the team gets them on the scoreboard.”

“This is something our players have yet to learn, you mean.”

You blush, looking away. “I’m sorry if I’m being rude. I didn’t mean-“

“You’re right, (f/n)-chan. They call us a powerhouse school because we’re regulars at the nationals and in nation’s top eight schools. Every year, the best middle school players apply for our school and we scout aces of the individual middle schools. But when these boys come together, they aren’t a team. They are individually strong members of Kaijou’s basketball team, but not the members of the team itself, if you understand what I’m trying to say.”

You nod.

“Most of them experience a shock. They were the aces at their middle schools but here they face the competition they haven’t met before. Most of them hit the wall at that point. This breaking point sets the strong ones from the weak ones. Kise himself is an unusual case. He’s not the only one, I imagine. All the members of Kiseki no Sedai are the first year students, but all of them are probably regulars.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, coach Takeuchi, but there is something I can’t agree with.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t believe age is such an important factor. Of course, there can be a difference in the physical strength and all, but I just can’t understand why a certain talented player shouldn’t play or become the captain just because he’s only the first year or simply younger. I don’t mean Kaijou specifically. I mean it overall. Those who are better should play, age shouldn’t have a say in it. Every team wants to win. The desire to win and be the best is in our human nature. Yet, only the team with the players who are talented enough and have the best teamwork win. Those that play make the difference. Not everyone is good enough to stand on the court because his or her teammates are simply better. One can only do one’s best and practice even harder, to compete with the regular member.”

The coach smiles a little. “I can imagine this is a bit hard to understand, because you’re not from here. You were raised in a different way, you see things from different perspective. Don’t get me wrong, it is refreshing to hear a different opinion that actually makes sense. You know, along the lines, Kise said something similar not so long ago.”

You gap at the coach. Kise actually shared your opinion? Before, he looked like he was ready to object to what you have said with all of his heart.

“Well, he said it out of other reasons. He asked Kasamatsu why should he, Kise, a promising talented player, so carefully scouted, respect someone just because the other person is a year or two older.”

 _Kise must have had a death wish._ You can imagine Kasamatsu wasn’t happy at all.

“I will borrow Kasamatsu’s words now. He said that it’s not the age difference that Kise should respect, but the fact that the second and third years have contributed to the team’s achievements this much longer than Kise himself. He wanted to say not to respect their ages, but –“

“Their hard work,” you unknowingly finish, blushing. “I am terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

The coach shakes his head. “You said it yourself. First year players have a hard time becoming regulars because they haven’t adapted into the team’s system that well. Those who have played together for a longer period, investing countless hours of hard work into practices, are a well-oiled machine. The players know each other, the way their teammates move, how they think, what passes or styles they prefer. The first years have yet to learn this. One rarely meets players of Kise’s calibre. Most of the first years, although talented by themselves, still don’t possess enough talent to immediately start functioning with the team. If I notice such a player, you can bet I put him on the team, regardless of his age.”

“I see. Thank you for taking your time to explain this to me, Takeuchi-kantoku.”

He smiles widely. He’s shorter than you and had he had a white beard, he could totally pass for a Santa.

“Not at all. I have this feeling we can learn as much from you as you can from us. This week will, I believe, regardless of whether you truly become our manager or not, prove to be valuable for both sides.”

“Coach, can I ask you one more question?” you say, gathering the courage to ask something that has been bothering you for a while.

“Sure,” he replies shortly.

“How come the manager’s position is vacant?”

The coach smiles. “Well, since Kise came, the interest to become our team’s manager has skyrocketed. The problem is we were all aware of the fact that those girls had no interest to take care of team members, Kise aside. Manager’s position requires quite some sacrifice. You have to make sure every single team member has everything he needs. Even though our school has a strong basketball team, other clubs are successful on the national level as well. Basketball is popular but still not as popular as for example baseball or football (soccer).”

You nod, thanking him for the answer. You remember you have work to do as you pick up the towels the boys used before, preparing the fresh ones, and fill the bottles that need filling. Once you’re done, the boys are just having a short break, so you quickly run to them, your arms full of water bottles.

“(f/n)-chan, what the hell did you put on my legs? This thing burns as hell,” whines Moriyama as he takes a bottle from you, gratefully taking a sip.

“It’s good for you. I know gels that burn much worse. Want to try them out?” you say, while handing out the remaining bottles.

“No thank you, my muscles would probably melt!”

You chuckle at his acting, shaking your head. “I talked to the coach during one of the breaks. Well, you’re going to get your own gel. My mother will provide them with a team discount. She’s also willing to come few days before the match to check out the condition you are in.”

Kasamatsu gaps at you. “Seriously, (f/n), to what extent are you willing to go? Doesn’t your mother have a private sport physiotherapy studio?”

“She does,” you nod, not completely sure what his point is, “but I talked to her. She’s meeting with the school board and the coach next week. If things go well, she will collaborate with the basketball and some other departments. She was quite happy, you know. She’s crazy about basketball.”

Kasamatsu just shakes his head at you, but he can’t help but smile. “You really go all-out once you’ve set your mind on something, don’t you?”

You throw a huge smile at him. “Is this a bad thing?”

“What is the meaning of this?” asks Kobori, confused as the rest of the team. Kasamatsu’s face still shows signs of disbelief as he looks at the rest of the team.

“(f/n)’s mother is one of the most respected physiotherapists in (country’s name). She also worked with various national teams and clubs, including NHL, NBA, Premier League, Handball Bundesliga, and so on and so forth. She had at least seven business trips while I was staying with them in my exchange year.”

The boys look at you with renewed respect.

“What can I say, it sure doesn’t hurt to know me,” you blush as the whole team gaps at you. They chuckle at your comment.

“But seriously, (f/n), it’s not even certain you’re going to get the manager’s position,” says Kasamatsu.

You shrug. “I’m not doing this to get the position, you know me better than this, Yukio. I’d do it anyway. Basketball has always been a big part of my life, and you’re part of this team as well, aren’t you? Take it as a . . . counter favour for what you have done for me. Besides, my mother is absolutely thrilled to work with high school teams.”

“Does she speak Japanese?” asks one of the boys, getting deadly glances at once.

“Who cares if she speaks Japanese! Work on improving your English, you idiot! It's not like you often get the chance with such a famous expert!” yells Kasamatsu at the boy who spoke. You laugh, surprising them all.

“She does. She majored in physiotherapy and Japanese at college.”

“Is this even possible?” asks Moriyama, scratching his chin.

You shrug. “It’s my mother you’re talking about. She’s a very capable woman.”

Kasamatsu shoots you a warning look you swiftly ignore, turning to the coach.

“I am terribly sorry if I said anything I should not have.”

Takeuchi smiles at you, shaking his head, dismissing your apologise. “No harm done, the news would get out sooner or later. Now, go back to practice. We still have half an hour left! We have rebound practice ahead!”

While the whole team whines, Hayakawa seems absolutely beside himself.

“Yosh, (I’m) goi(ng) to ge(t) all (the) rebou(nds)!”

Kasamatsu just sighs. “No matter how much I try, I can’t understand what he’s saying.”

“What am I supposed to say then?” you whisper, so only he can hear you.

He chuckles, patting your head. “You’re doing a good job, you know. Just don’t overwork yourself.”

You nod, smiling at him, your face beaming with happiness because of his praise.

“I don’t ever want to see you making that face at me. It reminds me of Kise way too much.” He turns around and walks away from you.

You’re still smiling at him, when you feel someone watching you. You slightly turn around, noticing that Kise’s intense gaze. His face looks puzzled, his golden eyes dark with an emotion you can’t identify. You return him the look, raising your eyebrows.

“Anything the matter, Kise-kun?” you ask, slightly leaning your head to the side.

“Not at all,” he replies, his voice emotionless. As he passes you, your eyes meet again but he’s the first one to look away.

 _He seems a bit pissed at me_ , you think. _Oh well, you can’t have everyone like you_.

Besides, from what you have seen, Kise Ryouta is not the type that you’d want to hang out with outside of practice. He seems too clingy, too whiney, and too full of himself. You return to the side-line of the court, taking the lasts of the notes, and try to rest your hands as much as you can for the massages ahead.


	3. The Manager

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter is out! I hope you enjoy it ^^   
> Thanks for taking time to read my story - I'll really appreciate it, if you share your thoughts with me!   
> Have fun!

_Five days later._

You didn’t expect for practices to be on Saturdays and Sundays as well. You didn’t mind because you didn’t have anything better to do anyway, but you were surprised to see how dedicated the staff and players were to basketball. They even started practicing before the school started. They really did seem determined to become at least top four in all of Japan.

_Train like champions, think like champions, play like champions, and you’re going to become champions._

Your brother’s words echo in your head as you watch the boys on Monday practice as hard as usual. You shake your head at the memory of your brother. He was questioning you about the team and the boys like a police officer. You felt as if you were at the formal questioning at the police station. He was happy to hear that Kasamatsu was the captain, though. It seemed to make him a little calmer. Even though you were about to turn eighteen, he was still treating you like a child. You forgave him though, because he promised he was going to send a packet of signed pictures with dedications, so you were able to keep your promise to Yumi.

As the practice is over, the whole teams gathers around coach and you.

“As you know, (f/n)-chan is not yet official manager of the club. Before the decision is made, I want to know whether you wish her to become the manager of the basketball club or not. I will hear what you have to say now, and I believe it is only fair (f/n)-chan hears it as well.”

Takeuchi’s eyes turn to Kasamatsu. He sighs a little.

“You’re all aware of the fact (f/n) is my friend, so I can’t really be objective about it. However,” he says, looking at his teammates, “I do believe she did more than asked of her for this club, and I can vouch that her enthusiasm won’t drop even if she gets the position. She’s the type who always tries her best. I vote for her to become our manager. All in favour?”

One by one, the boys raise their hands, not one stays down. Even Kise raises his, much to your surprise. Even though you two had barely talked, he seems to dislike you. His eyes were always so cold whenever he looked at you. He seemed like a completely different type around you than he was while around the others. Outside of the practice, he wouldn’t even look at you. Not that you’d mind. He was always surrounded with girls. It made you sick how pushy some of them were. Yumi told you it has been like this ever since the beginning. In your own way, you actually feel sorry for him. But then again, it’s also true Kise seemed to be enjoying the attention he’s getting, being kind to them, and cheerful.

“I believe the team has spoken. I don’t think they’ve ever been so united before,” jokes Takeuchi, making all of you chuckle. “Welcome to the team, (f/n)-chan. I’ll be expecting a lot from you.”

You blush as you shake the offered hand, and then bow to the whole team.

“I’ll do my best to help you to the best of my abilities. Please take care of me too.”

You notice Kasamatsu, Kobori, and Moriyama grinning at you while the team claps and cheers.

“(f/n)-chan, please bring me the notes you have made so far. I’d like to see them,” the coach says after the boys leave to clean up.

You panic a little on the inside. You have made your notes in English and not in Japanese. You don’t even know how some of the things are called, much less do you know how to write them.

“Would it be alright if I give them to you tomorrow? I haven’t managed to put them in proper order yet, since most of the things are just . . . uhm.” You have no idea how to say “scribbled down" in Japanese, so you think feverishly how to express yourself, “well, they’re not written nicely. I’d like to re-write them nicely, if that’s okay.”

The coach smiles and nods. “Of course. By the way, we are having a practice match next week.”

“Who’s the opponent?”

“Seirin high school. They are the team of first and second years only. They are the new school. They’re not weak but they’re not powerful either. They did come to the final league of preliminaries for the Inter-High, but this is as far as they can go. They requested us to put in the starting members. I don’t think it’s going to be much of a challenge, but it should give you more information about our style of play. I’m putting Kise on the bench, though. It wouldn’t even be a joke if he starts. Keep this is a secret from the other guys, from Kasamatsu as well, though.”

You bite your tongue. You hate it when someone is so obviously underestimating the other team. However, you say nothing because it could only result in a fight. You only nod.

“I shall prepare my notes for tomorrow then,” you say shortly and excuse yourself. You rather don’t think about what the coach said this Seirin team. You actually feel sorry for them and secretly hope they’re going to prove Takeuchi wrong and learn him a lesson never to underestimate the opponent. Then you remember you have almost twenty pages to translate into the Japanese and your panic returns.

“Yukio!!!”

Kasamatsu is waiting for you outside, talking to Moriyama, Kobori, and Kise. They all turn towards you, surprised.

“What are you yelling for?” Kasamatsu yells back at you, as you are running towards them. “I haven’t left, you idiot. No need to panic.”

You stop in front of them, catching your breath, suddenly grabbing Kasamatsu’s arm. “Yukio, you have to help me! Or else I’m screwed.”

The other three look confused, as you speak in English.

“What? Did something happen?” There’s a trace of worry in Kasamatsu’s voice.

“The coach wants me to prepare my notes by tomorrow but they’re all in English and I don’t know the words, much less how to write them!”

You’re almost crying as you tell him the real problem.

“That’s it? I thought something serious happened! Don’t scare me like this, you idiot!” Kasamatsu is secretly relieved that nothing happened to you. You really scared him for a moment.

“But this is serious!”

“Uhm . . . my English isn’t the best so . . . what’s with the notes?” asked Moriyama, confused. Kobori and Kise are still looking from Kasamatsu back to you.

“Nothing. The coach wants her notes but she wrote them in English and needs help with translating. She doesn’t know the words or how to write them,” Kasamatsu replies, shaking his head. “It’s not a big deal, but she can be a cry baby sometimes.”

“Hey, I understood that!” you pout, pinching him in the arm, making him jump. “Don’t be mean, Yukio! I have a story or two to tell about you as well.”

Moriyama’s face lightens up like a Christmas tree at your last words and he casually hugs you across the shoulders.

“How about we stop at the convenience store and you share a story or two with me?”

Kasamatsu pushes his arm away, vein popping out again, while you’re laughing. “Don’t push it, Moriyama. (f/n), we have to go. We’re going to be late.”

“Late?” asks Kise.

“My parents invited Kasamatsu over for dinner. They are thrilled that I’m going to the same school as him. It’s like having a second brother to watch over me,” you whine, putting on a fake defeated look. Kobori and Moriyama laugh, and even Kise smiles a little.

“I’m afraid no guy is going to be able to come near you, (f/n)-chan. If he hurts you, he’s going to have to deal with the three older brothers you have here,” teases you Moriyama.

You burst into laughter. “No need to worry about that. I doubt it’s going to happen. I’m not the type guys would fall for. And even if such a miracle did happen, you can bet Yukio and you would be the last to know, so you wouldn’t be able to ambush him and scare him to death.”

You turn around so you don’t see the looks guys exchange between themselves, with Kasamatsu shaking his head and sighing.

“Are you coming, Yukio? See you tomorrow guys, make sure you get some rest! You too, Kise-kun. Don’t work too much.”

You smile at them and raise your hand in goodbye, while Kasamatsu also says his goodbyes, and you two stroll down the street towards your home.

“Congratulations on becoming the manager position,” he says eventually as you two walk pass the familiar stores and buildings.

“Thank you,” you smile, “even though I wasn’t that surprised, to be honest.”

Even Kasamatsu smiles. “Yeah, it was evident the coach was impressed with you from the moment he saw you. I think he was already planning this when I told him about you.”

“What on Earth did you tell him about me?” you tease him.

Kasamatsu blushes and gently punches you in the shoulder. It’s something you two have been doing ever since you became close.

“I told him the truth, what else was I supposed to tell him? I told him that you know a lot about basketball, about your brother, how you also helped me improve, and that you’re a responsible person. I think I got him at the mention of your brother’s name,” he chuckles as he says the last words. You roll your eyes at him.

“Good to know I’m being used because of who my brother is.”

He punches you again. “Don’t be stupid, (f/n). You did it by yourself. You don’t need to use your family’s name to get somewhere. You can do it without it as well. You’re capable enough on your own. You really should start believing that.”

You smile a little. “I do have to admit I was pretty nervous after you delivered your short speech, though. I was so relieved when those hands went up,” you admit, looking at him, “Nice speech by the way. I didn’t know you can be such a talker.”

“Shut up,” he blushes, burying his hands deep into his pockets.

“But I was relieved, too, you know,” he says after a few minutes of comfortable silence between you. “Now I don’t have to worry about you arriving safe at home or not. And it’s good to have someone with your abilities and connections around, because I know I can rely on you.”

You know it had to be hard for him to say it aloud. Kasamatsu was never good at expressing his feelings.

 _No wonder he is redder than a lobster when he finally does say what he truly thinks._ You decide not to tease him about it.

“I’m relieved, too. It brings back some memories and I’m not going to be bored. Or lonely, that is.”

He smiles, grateful you didn’t use the opportunity to tease him to death.

“Well, you did sign up to become in charge of a flock of sweaty, full of testosterone, boys. It can’t get more romantic than that.”

You chuckle. Kasamatsu actually knew how to be funny when he wanted to be, although his sense of humour was terrible.

“You’re going to help me with the translations, right?”

“You want to be even further in my debt?” he teases you, making you roll your eyes.

“I’ll make you lunch for a week, if you want to. I’ll even clean your gear for a week, just pleeaaase, don’t leave me alone with this assignment.”

“I know you’re not a fan of cooking, so I rather won’t push you that far. But you can carry my basketball bag for a week,” he says, throwing you his bag. You somehow manage to catch it. You’re about to open your mouth to complain, but he gives you a knowledgeable smile.

“What, you have a problem? Don’t you need help with the translating? And aren’t you always complaining how people think you’re weak? I’m nice enough to give you the chance to prove them wrong.”

You frown at him.

“There’s evil in you, mister,” you say, sulking, but you still don’t drop the bag. “You’re such a bully, Yukio. You must have become a captain through the intimidation.”

He laughs at the spike in your words. “One has to put his talent to the best use. I play my cards right.”

“Smart pants,” you mutter under your breath, but you can help but smiling. Whenever Kasamatsu shows you his playful and relaxed side, it reminds you why you became friends with him in the first place.

* * *

 

Your parents are thrilled to see him and they bombard him with questions. Kasamatsu doesn’t seem to mind, as you ask them to let him breathe as well. He seems happy to see them as well. He answers all of their questions and asks your parents questions as well. He doesn’t forget to thank your mother for even considering the cooperation with their club, what she happily dismisses as “not a big deal at all”. He also mentions you becoming their manager, and how please he is to have someone like you around. Your parents congratulate you on getting the position. They seem happy you’re adapting into the new environment and thank Kasamatsu for taking care of you. Before you two go into your room to start working on the translations, Kasamatsu turns to your parents.

“My parents would really like to meet you personally, Mr and Mrs (l/n). They asked me to invite you over for lunch or dinner, whatever would be more convenient for you.”

“Certainly, my dear. Tell them we’ll be more than happy to come and meet them as well,” replies your father, putting hand on your mother’s shoulder.

Your mother nods. “It will be our pleasure to meet your parents. I have to tell them they raised a good son myself.”

Kasamatsu blushes a little and thanks them for their kind words, promising he will deliver their eagerness to his parents.

“Your parents haven’t changed a bit. They’re still so easy going,” he says as you two sit down behind your desk. “I remember this helped me overcome my shyness when I first came to (country’s name). They treated me like their own son; it was hard to be anything else but relaxed around them.”

“Well, I thought you hated my guts when you first met me.”

He laughs. “I didn’t hate you. You know I just can’t talk to girls that easily.”

“So I’ve noticed. It took me the whole month to finally get more than four clear words out of you.”

“Well, you were persistent enough. You kept bothering me,” he chuckled again, looking around. “I see your room is pretty much the same. You’re still listening to those K-POP bands?”

You nod, pulling your note out. He is shocked to see how much you’ve done in a week.

“Did you write down every single thought that occurred to you?”

“Pretty much,” you admit, and smile apologetically. “Not everything here is useful; half are just side notes and suggestions.”

“Well, you sure didn’t bother with the writing, did you?”

You blush. “Hey, in my defence, I had fifteen players in the first string to observe! You think I actually bothered?”

He shakes his head. “Let’s see what you have figured out. We better get to work if we want to finish this until midnight.”

* * *

 

You are waiting outside of the gym, angry beyond words.

_Who. The. Hell. Does. That. Guy. Think. I. Am? His. Maid. Or. Something?_

You look at the e-mail Kise had sent you.

 

> _Wait for me in front of the gym. I’m going to be late for practice._
> 
>  

“Tch,” you say, rolling your eyes at the message for the hundredth time. The coach let you go, it was only a day before the match with Seirin, and he and Kasamatsu were going through some of the notes you’ve made. You were surprised that the coach actually did consider some of your suggestions. They appeared to be working as well. You couldn’t deny it – Kaijou was strong, their defence and offence were both on a high-level. But a certain _someone_ was really testing your patience. Kise always had a strange look in his eyes when he looked at you. There was always a slight smirk on his lips. It was almost as if he was looking down at you. You are certain of one thing – Kise didn’t believe you’ve earned to be their manager only after one testing week, even though no one complained about the work you’ve done. On the contrary, everyone else seemed to be over the moon to have you. You start stomping your foot against the floor, growing impatient and angry. You are sure to give him a piece of your mind.

When he finally shows up, you give him a dark look, your lips thin.

“What is this supposed to mean?” you ask him as he comes closer, and push your phone right under his nose. “Do I look like I’m your subordinate, Kise?”

“What’s the problem?” he asks, confused. His confused look is somewhat cute, he looks like a lost puppy, but you don’t fall for it.

“You didn’t _ask_ me to wait for you! You basically _ordered_ me to wait for you! You better have a good excuse to be this late, or else Kasamatsu is going to skin you alive. And if you ever do something like this out of the blue again, don’t count on me.”

He rolls his eyes at you, pissing you off even more. “Fine, I’m sorry, okay? Geez, you’re so sensitive. I thought Westerns were more easy-going.”

“That’s your excuse?” you raise your eyebrows, crossing your arms. “Look, Kise. I know you’re not particularly fond of me.”

He frowns a little but you raise your finger to stop him from talking,

“But this doesn’t mean you can look down on me just because you feel like it. I don’t complicate much about the age thing, because you’re right, I’m more chilled about it than most of the people here. Now, tell me what’s so urgent?”

“I went to Seirin,” he says shortly, tilting his head to the side a bit. Your jaw almost drops on the floor.

“Are you insane? You can’t just go to other schools like this! Seirin is not even close! Why on Earth would you do that for?”

“Geez, keep your hair on! By the way, do you know you speak half-half when you’re upset,” he says, smiling a little. You give him a warning look. He sighs.

“One of my former teammates goes there. I was trying to do some recruiting.”

Your head starts hurting. This is typically Kise. He never thinks things through and acts on his slightest whim.

“I need some sugar. You’re going to be the death of me,” you sigh, pulling him to the candy machine.

“Who is that teammate of yours? I don’t remember reading anything about a member of Generation of Miracles going to Seirin.”

Kise leans on the wall next to the vending machine, watching you as you insert the money and pick up the desired sweet.

“He’s our phantom sixth man, Kuroko Tetsuya.”

You frown. “Phantom sixth man?”

“You’ll see how got this nickname tomorrow. I just wanted to see what team he has now.”

“And what did you find out?” you ask, taking out the sweet, throwing it to him. “You do like chocolate, right? Or are you forbidden to eat it because you’re a model?”

He catches it, surprised.

“Well? Did the team meet your expectations?” you ask again, trying to decide what to get for yourself.

“They have an interesting guy. Kurokocchi called him his “light”. But they’re weaker than we are. And Kurokocchi flat rejected me! Not even a girl has done this before!” he whines, on the verge of tears.

“Eat some chocolate, you’ll feel better,” you say sarcastically, finally deciding to get a candy bar. “Why did you try to recruit him anyways? Aren’t you happy with your team?”

He looks at you, his eyes narrowing. It’s how he usually looks at you.

“You know, you sometimes sound just like Kurokocchi. He refused to go to the school that recruited a member of Generation of Miracles. He despised the way we play.”

“Well, you don’t exactly strain yourself during the practice, do you?”

“We have different views on the basketball, (f/n).”

“ _Obviously_ ,” you say, biting into the bar, looking him in the eyes, “so why did you call me out of everyone? Shouldn’t you talk to Kasamatsu about this phantom guy?”

“I wanted to warn you to be aware of him tomorrow. Besides, are you even qualified to be our manager? You don’t seem to have any data on Seirin. Did you even try to obtain some information?”

You almost spit out the half-chewed sweet. You look at him, anger flashing in your eyes.

“Well, at least you finally stated your honest opinion. I don’t have the intention to justify my actions to you. What I do and how I do it is none of your concern. I did check the archive – Kaijou doesn’t have a history with Seirin. I’ll do my best to analyse them as much as I can tomorrow.”

“Momoicchi would already know such things.”

“I don’t know who that is.”

“Our former manager at Teiko. She’s the best in her field.”

You look him in the eyes.

_Is he trying to provoke me?_

“I don’t doubt she is, if you respect her. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m the manager you’ve got now. If you have any complaints, bring them to the team or the coach. Let me remind you that you had a choice. No one was pointing a gun at you, forcing you into raising your arm in the sign of agreement of me becoming the club’s manager. I’m not claiming to be the best because I know I’m far from it. But you’d do well to show me at least some respect because I don’t think I’m doing that bad to deserve such a harsh critic. Now, if you’ll excuse me. The practice is almost over and I have two massages waiting for me to perform. Enjoy the chocolate and try not to choke on it.”

You turn away on your heels, storming back into the gym. Kasamatsu throws you a startled gaze but you ignore him.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” you apologise to the players, waiting for you. They both dismiss your apology, saying it’s nothing to worry about.

“(f/n), where’s Ki-“

“I don’t know,” you scold, without even looking at Kasamatsu. He frowns. You’re obviously in a foul mood. He decides to let you calm down and then ask you about it.

You are almost done with the massages when you hear the gym doors opening. You glance over at the entrance, seeing Kise standing between the doors. You purposely look away when his eyes meet yours, ignoring him although you press your lips tightly together.

“There you go. Make sure to rest once you get home,” you say to the two when you’re done. They thank you and you get up. A piercing pain comes from you knee, making you flinch and stumble a little. You automatically grab your knee, breathing heavily. Then you remember Kise is looking at you and you straighten up, pretending nothing happened. You throw the used towels into the trolley with much bigger force than needed and drive the trolley to the washing room, trying not to limp. You return to the gym, picking up the balls the last of the boys left behind after some additional shoots. You can feel Kise’s eyes on you but you continue to ignore his existence. You pray Kasamatsu is already waiting for you outside. As you pick up your bag and are about to go pass Kise, his voice stops you.

“Would you please start ignoring me, acting like a child, and listen to what I have to say?”

“Why should I? I doubt you have anything new to say to me.” You finally look at him, trying to hide your emotions, “Unless you have more insults for me?”

You open the doors slightly, when he pulls you back.

“Don’t be stupid, you know I didn’t mean it like that,” he scowls, his eyes intense.

“Whatever, Kise. We’re on the same page here. You don’t like me and well, you’re not my favourite either. I should probably thank you for at least telling me the truth.”

He clenches his teeth. “It’s not that I don’t like you.”

“No. But you don’t respect neither me nor my work. You’re right. I’m basically useless. I can’t do much on my own. I am used of living in a shadow, not being able to shine. I don’t have any outstanding abilities,” you say, as calm as you possibly can with a trembling voice. Then you look him in the eyes and he backs away a little, his eyes widening in surprise by the intensity of your gaze, “but this doesn’t mean you can treat me like a trash or take me for granted. Good for you that you had such a capable and dedicated manager in Teiko, too bad you didn’t follow her then. She must have been really splendid if she was able to take care of you and spy on the other teams at the same time.”

You pull your arm from his grip, opening the doors and rush through them, almost knocking down Kasamatsu.

“(f/n)?” Kasamatsu asks, surprised, his eyes narrow. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” you mutter, “I just got an honest opinion about my abilities and capabilities. Let’s go, Yukio.”

Kasamatsu looks at Kise who is standing between the doors, clenching his fists.

“What did you –“ Kasamatsu starts, his voice raising, but you grab his arm and shake his head.

“It’s okay, Yukio. I’ll see you tomorrow, Kise- _san_.”

Kasamatsu gaps at you, while Kise flinches at the coldness of your voice. You don’t turn around to see his shocked expression, while you pull Kasamatsu behind you. Kasamatsu knows better than to push you. You’re going to open up when you’re ready. Once you’re out of Kise’s sight, you finally allow to show the pain on your face. You stop and grab your knee, trying to stop the pounding pain.

“(f/n)?” Kasamatsu squats down on the floor next to you. “Is it your knee again?”

“It has its bad moments,” you say through clenched teeth. “I’ll ask my mom to look at it once I get home.”

“Do you want me to carry you?”

You let out a laugh. “Don’t be silly, Yukio. I’m far too heavy. I’m not a petite girl. I weight more than you do. I’ll be fine. Just . . . give me a second.”

He doesn’t say anything although he’s a bit insulted but he sees the pain you’re in and bites his tongue. After a minute or two, the pain eases and you can walk.

“Is it getting worse?” he asks you after a while.

“As if it’s ever going to be alright again. I’m afraid the second one is endangered as well,” you admit, not looking at him.

“Can’t your –“

“She can’t. She tries, Yukio. If it weren’t for her, I don’t know what I’d do. It’s alright most of the time . . . but it happens.”

“I noticed you can’t kneel.”

“Well, I won’t be able to propose my man, will I be?” you make a joke, making him smile a little. “Don’t feel sorry for me, Yukio. Injuries happen. I’m glad you’re alright and that no one is injured. Neither of us can change what happened to me, but you can look after yourself.”

“You couldn’t have prevented it,” he says gently.

You clench your fists. “It’s not what my mother thinks. She thinks my weight was partly responsible. She keeps nagging me about it.”

“But you’re not fat.”

“Not in the strict meaning of the word, no. But let’s say I’d rather avoid being seen in the swim suit here, when most of the girls have such nice bodies.”

You look at him and can tell he’s about to explode. Therefore, you know you have to act fast. You hug him from behind, leaning your head on his broad shoulders. You can feel him stiffen.

“You’re a good friend, Yukio. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you. Even though you act like you don’t care or you hide behind your mask of annoyance and anger, I know you care. You’re a very special person to me, you know. I don’t know if I ever thanked you for being by my side when I needed you the most, even though you nag me most of the time. But I like the way you are. I wouldn’t want to change a thing about you. You’re one of the few who accepts me just the way I am, being honest with me, making me face my fears instead of only pitying me. So don’t be mad at me, please. You’re one of the few persons I don’t want to hate me.”

You can feel the tears rolling down your cheeks, as you squeeze him tightly. You can feel him relaxing, his shoulders dropping when a sigh escapes him.

“You idiot, how could I hate you? Even though you’re annoying as hell, I still can’t help but to actually like you. I’m going to say this just once, okay?” He clears his throat and you can tell he blushed like never before. “You’re very important for me too, and I’m glad you became the manager, because I can watch over you, keeping you from troubles and stupid ideas.”

You chuckle and wipe away your tears, releasing him. He turns around and ruffles your hair.

“Stop crying, you idiot. You’re making it look like I made you cry.”

“Well, you probably could if my skin wasn’t that thick.”

He rolls his eyes at you but smiles nevertheless. “I think it’s sometimes too thick and sometimes it looks like you have none at all. Let’s go now. It’s getting late.”

“Aren’t you nervous about tomorrow?” you ask him, as you walk next to him.

“Why would I be nervous? It’s a practice game. We’re allowed to make mistakes now. If we ever want to improve, this is the best way to see to what we need to pay more attention. Not sure about our opponent tomorrow though.”

“You’re all starting to annoy me,” you say, sulking.

“What did I say?” he glances at you, surprised.

“Aren’t you all being a bit too cocky? I’ve never seen anyone underestimating their opponent this much.” You are outraged.

“I don’t underestimate. They made it to the final league with the team of first years. How could I not be impressed? But this is as far as they go. I’m no underestimating them. I’m simply stating the fact.”

“I am starting to hope they really do kick your butts so you’re going to hit the reality with a bang,” you mutter.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on our side?”

“I am. But maybe you need to be taught a lesson about how to truly respect your opponent.”

“You’ll still cheer us up, won’t you?” he smiles, patting your head.

“You’ll go deaf,” you say confidently.

* * *

 

“Someone has to show them the way, I doubt they’ll be able to find the gym on their own,” says Kasamatsu. He looks at you but you only slightly shake your head. Your confidence in your sense of orientation has suffered a major blow – you got lost three times on the campus and had absolutely no idea where you were. You always called Kasamatsu. He yelled at you but always came to fetch you. He lost his faith into your sense of orientation as well.

“I’ll go,” says Kise quickly, smiling widely. You don’t look at him. Aside from exchanging a short “hello”, you haven’t spoken to him, although he tried to get your attention.

“You sure?” Kasamatsu looks at him. “You’re not trying to just greet your followers?”

“Senpai, for who do you take me for~?” he whines and pouts. Although it looks cute, it actually annoys the hell out of Kasamatsu. You quickly interfere before Kasamatsu could explode.

“Let him go, Yukio. He has already changed.”

Kise looks at you gratefully but you ignore him. Kasamatsu sighs and looks at the coach.

“Go then, Kise. Bring them to this gym.”

You look around, seeing you only have half of the court, while some players are warming up on the other half.

“Uhm, Coach? Are we playing only . . .” you look at Kasamatsu, and he finishes the sentence for you. The coach nods.

“We haven’t made any special arrangements. I can’t let the match to interfere with our usual training plan.”

You’re about to explode, but Kasamatsu gently squeezes your shoulder and shakes his head.

“I’ll get the first aid kit,” you mutter, literally running away to cool down your hot head.

_First Kise, then coach. What else could happen?_

You find the first aid kit and bring it back into the gym just as the Seirin’s team enters. You scan their players. They all seem grim when they notice they’re not taken seriously enough to even be allowed to play on the whole court. You notice there’s a girl amongst them. At first, you think she’s the manager, but then you hear her introducing herself as the coach and you almost drop the kit in your hands. You admire her. They boys seem to respect her. Then you notice a tall red-haired guy and your eyes widen.

“Taiga?!”

He turns around at the sound of his name, all the players looking at you.

“Eh? (f/n)?! What are you doing here?”

Kasamatsu seems dumbfounded.

“Oi, Kagami. Do you know her?” asks a tall guy with glasses, closely observing you.

“I went to a basketball workshop and camps her brother organized. We met there,” explains Kagami, still surprised.

“Her brother?” asks the guy with the glasses. There’s something in his voice that makes you straighten up.

“(l/n) (your brother’s name). I’m his younger sister, (l/n) (f/n). Nice to meet you.”

“EEEEH?”

All the Seirin team gaps at you, then they all turn to Kagami.

“You never told us you know (your brother’s name) and his sister! You sly fox!”

They hit Kagami on the shoulders, while he looks genuinely taken aback. You chuckle and shake your head.

“It’s good to see you again, Taiga. Is this your team?”

The red haired guy nods, scratching his head.

“How come we’re not playing on the full court?” asks the female coach, looking serious. You blush, feeling embarrassed. You shrug as you notice the question in Kagami’s eyes and slightly shake your head as a sign that you don’t approve this as well.

“We didn’t make any special arrangements. We can’t let this interfere with our usual practice. As you can see, you’re playing the regulars,” says Takeuchi, pointing towards Hayakawa, Moriyama, Kobori, Kasamatsu and another player. You shake your head again.

“Eh? Coach, I’m not playing?!” Kise seems genuinely surprised. He’s not happy with it.

“I’m putting you on the bench, Kise,” says the coach shortly.

“They’re underestimating us,” says the guy with the glasses through his teeth and the atmosphere around Seirin changes. You smile a little. You know Kagami. Kaijou is about to be taught a lesson.

“I’m sorry about this,” you hear Kise saying, looking at the player you haven’t noticed before. You narrow your eyes.

 _So this must be Kuroko_ , you think as you look at the smaller boy with light blue hair and blue eyes. You ask yourself how come you haven’t notice him before. He seems emotionless but there’s something in his eyes that sends shivers down your spine.

“Well, it wouldn’t even be a joke if you can’t make him put me in,” smiles Kise, pissing off the Seirin team even more.

“There’s no need to take us to the locker room. We’ll find it ourselves,” says Kuroko. “And Kise-kun? You better be prepared.”

Kise stares after them, a small narrow smile appearing on his face. He then looks at you but you look away and firmly walk to the bench, pretending to be arranging things in the kit.

“How do you know Kagami?”

“You heard it yourself,” you answer shortly, not turning around although you’re fully aware that Kise is standing just right behind you.

“Not really - you spoke in English. But you obviously didn't understand my question. How well do you know him, that’s what I meant.”

“Pretty good. We’re pretty close in age so we hung out often. I haven’t seen him for a while now. He’s not a bad basketball player.”

"I know.”

This makes you turn around.

“This caught your attention,” he smiles but you don’t return the gesture.

“How can you know?”

“I played one-on-one with him when I went to Seirin. He lost.”

To his surprise, you smile widely. “Did he laugh?”

He nods. You shake your head in disbelief.

“He hasn’t changed a bit. The stronger the opponent, the higher the motivation. It’s how Taiga is. He’s always completely beside himself when he meets a stronger opponent.”

“He has weird eyebrows,” Kasamatsu joins in. You shake your head at him.

“Stop it, Yukio. This is precisely what I like about Taiga. He never escapes from challenges. He faces them without any restraint. I’d say he didn’t expect much from the Japanese basketball.” You don’t want to say Kise probably made him change his mind. You don’t want to compliment him, but he apparently guesses what you mean as he smiles widely at you.

“How dare-“

“Yukio,” you look at your friend, giving him the you-know-better look. “You know he doesn’t mean anything bad at it. I didn’t expect much at the beginning as well. I was wrong, so was Taiga. We both acknowledged our mistake.” At the moment, the Seirin boys come out.

“We’ll show you what we can do. They’ll be sorry for thinking so lowly of us,” says Kagami quietly when he passes you. You notice how he left you out when he said "they". He knows you certainly weren’t behind this.

You smile slightly. “Bring it on.”


	4. First Defeat

You can hear the pen slipping from your hand, dropping on the floor. The whole bench is standing, mouths opened in disbelief. Kise looks behind his back, seeing the ball nearing the basket in slow motion. The sound of basket being scored. The buzz announcing the end of the match. The moment of silence when even Kise’s annoying fan-girls are quiet. Boy, their squealing was really getting on your nerves. Kise could literally just breathe and they would go wild.

And then the moment of realization. Seirin explodes with joy, and even you somehow manage to be happy for them on the inside. This is the team of first and second years.

_They have a lot of room for improvement, but their teamwork . . . and that first year duo, Kuroko and Kagami._

You can see such potential in there you get the shivers. If Seirin continues to evolve like this, they are going to be the force not to be reckoned with.

“Congratulations,” you say to Kagami, “it was a well earned win. I’d say we all learned something valuable from this.”

He smiles at you. “I guess we gave you a lot of data. I see you haven’t lost your touch in analysing your opponents.”

You look at the notebook you’re pressing against your chest and dismiss his words with a quick hand movement.

“We’re going to win next time, Taiga. This is not the end – “

“It’s only the beginning,” he finishes the sentence your brother used to say often after losing the game, and you both laugh, sharing the mutual memories for a brief moment.

“Your teammates are waiting for you,” you say eventually as you notice some of the Seirin boys waiting by the doors, watching you two.

“Keep in touch,” you smile at Kagami, noticing Kuroko standing nearby as well. “I’ll keep an eye on you, Kuroko-kun. I’ve never seen a player like you before. Congratulations on your win. That was quite a display of teamwork over there, but we’ll get you next time.”

Kuroko smiles at you, surprising you. He’s actually kind of cute.

“Yes. Let’s play again sometime soon. I’m looking forward to it.”

He bows slightly at you. Kagami follows him then suddenly stops on his track, turning back to you, scratching his head.

“Hey, (f/n), would you mind waiting for me outside? I don’t have your number so . . . eh, I kinda’ can’t contact you.”

You nod, forcing your mouth not to extend into a big smile at his awkwardness. “Sure. Now go, you silly!”

He smiles awkwardly, blushing, and runs after Kuroko. They leave the gym together.

“They actually made us play the full court. Kagami broke the hoop! How can a high school student do it?” Moriyama is still shocked.

You get closer to them as they are doing their stretching. You can tell he’s not the only one still in shock.

“He’s Kagami after all. It doesn’t really surprise me. I wonder . . .”

You look towards Kise who’s talking to Kasamatsu. You notice tears rolling down his cheeks. Kasamatsu appears to be encouraging him although he looks his usual cold and strict himself. The way Kagami improved . . . it surprises you. The potential was always there but to see him become such a strong player. You wonder whether he can take it even to the next level.

_He probably can. I would even dare to put my hand into the fire for that. Kagami is Kiseki no Sedai material. He’ll need a really good guidance. That coach, Aida Riko, will definitely find a way._

You look at the girl you though of. She’s beaming with happiness a little away from you, while Takeuchi looks like he’d just swallow a whole jar of pickles with lemon. Kise sits down on the bench, his head covered with the blue sweat suit. His long legs are fully stretched, so you can see the muscles. He is staring into the floor, while the other players are slowly leaving one by one. You two remain alone. You don’t know why you even stay. Yet, before you can stop yourself, you hit him gently with a notebook. He flinches, looking up in a shock.

“Ouch! What was that for?” His golden eyes are wide with surprise. But there’s also a hint of coldness in them.

“If you have time to feel sorry for yourself because you lost a practice match, you won’t mind doing a better job at practice, will you? Cry if you must. But do everything you can never to cry again. The boys believe in you because you’re the team’s ace. You don’t play for yourself. You play for the team. I think you learned your lesson today. Kuroko was right. The style you Generation of Miracles display is selfish. I think you’ve realized this now. If you have time to cry, you have time to work on improving yourself for the sake of your team and for your own sake as well.”

He just stares at you, his mouth slightly opened.

“I warned you no underestimate Seirin even though I didn’t know them. This over here,” you raise the notebook and Kise flinches again, expecting a new hit, “is going to keep me awake for quite some nights. Next time you meet Seirin, you’re not going to be completely unprepared even though you don’t think highly of my analysing abilities.”

You sit down on the floor next to the bench, leaning on your arms and look into the ceiling.

“Does it hurt? Does it feel suffocating? Is it something that’s making you anxious? Nauseous even? The last scene keeps replaying in your head?”

He nods, looking down again, clenching his fists on his knees.

“Look at me!”

He obeys from pure shock. You look at him sternly. You didn’t mean to yell at him but seeing how sorry he’s feeling for himself makes you angry. It’s not how a player of his calibre and responsibilities should behave.

“Don’t bow your head. Win or lose, you always need to keep your head high. You can only learn from the defeat. Remember this feeling. Remember it every single time you’ll feel like giving up on the practice. If you call yourself an ace, be ready for all the burden that comes with this role. Before you can wear a crown, you have to be able to wear the weight of it. There’s nothing wrong with losing – those who don’t know the bitterness of the defeat can never fully taste the sweetness of victory.”

He slowly nods, a small sparkle ignites in his eyes.

“Once you’ve hit the bottom, you can only go up. Instead of feeling down, think about the way you can improve yourself. I’ll help you out as much as I can.”

You stand up, before you say something else you don’t mean to say out-loud. You have no idea why you offered him help when he clearly doesn’t want it or think much of it.

“Why?” His quiet voice stops you from turning around. "Why would you go so far for me?" 

“It's not for you as _you_ but because you’re the ace of the Kaijou team. Because Yukio and the others believe in you, I have to believe in you too. You’re capable enough to be a leader, at least in terms of your abilities. You need to shoulder such responsibility and realize what it brings. You’re not the only one feeling the bitterness of defeat. You have to shield your team from feeling such feelings as well. Besides, you’re a basketball player and I’m the manager of the basketball club. That’s all, nothing more and nothing less. I’m just doing my job.”

You throw him a bottle of water. “Don’t stay in here too long. You’ll catch a cold.”

He clenches his fists again, his face anxious. “(f/n)c-“

“Yo, (f/n)! I though you left!” Kagami appears at the doors, looking rather relieved. You look at the time and gap. You had no idea more than twenty minutes had already passed!

“Bakagami! I promised to give you my number! I can’t believe you actually lost it in the first place!”

“Sorry, I changed my phone . . . besides, why are you calling me Bakagami?” he sulks.

You chuckle. “You’re only capable of doing three things, Taiga: eating, sleeping, and playing basketball. Academics are far from your area of expertise. I feel sorry for your future girlfriend. You’ll really have to step up in your game a bit if you don’t want to remain single for the rest of your life.”

Kise suddenly stands up. You and Kagami both look at him, surprised.

“Hey, Kise! Let’s play again sometime,” says Kagami who recovers first.

Kise actually smiles. “Challenge accepted, Kagamicchi. Next time we meet, I’ll come at you with everything I’ve got.”

“I couldn’t ask for anything more,” smiles Kagami. “But stop calling me Kagamicchi.”

“It’s not an insult, Taiga. He adds the suffix “-cchi” to a person he respects,” you say matter-of-factly.

“She is right, Kagami-kun.” Kagami and you both jump when you suddenly notice Kuroko standing next to Kagami.

“Well, Kuroko-kun, you really are something else,” you manage a smile, grabbing for your chest, trying to keep your coolness even though Kuroko’s sudden appearance scared the living daylight out of you.

“Stop doing this already!” yells Kagami at him, but it is Kuroko that seems surprised the most.

“But I’ve been standing here this whole time.”

Kagami sighs and pulls out his phone. You take it and write your number in it. He saves it and sends you a message so you can save his as well.

“Keep in touch, Bakagami. And Kuroko-kun? I don’t want to sound arrogant, but keep an eye on him, will you? He’s a good guy but he’s an idiot,” you smile at Kuroko who smiles you back.

“I will, (l/n)-san.”

“Just call me (f/n),” you reply. “I see your team is ready to leave. I’ll see you around then. Have a save trip!”

You wave at them as they say their goodbyes. You turn around; noticing Kise is still standing there.

“What’s with you, don't you have something better to do than just standing around?”

“I’m going to get some fresh air,” he says, obviously in a bad mood. You shrug.

“Suit yourself.”

As Kise leaves, Kasamatsu appears, ready to leave. You quickly grab your things – you notice he’s in a rather foul mood.

“I didn’t know you knew that red-haired guy,” he says as you two are strolling down the street.

“You never asked,” you reply, teasing him. But he’s just lost a game so you keep it easy. “Besides, I didn’t know he was attending Seirin. I haven’t spoken to him for two years at least. He’s still the same though.”

“He and that guy, Kuroko . . . They’re trouble,” says Kasamatsu. “I’d say they’ve given us a lot to reflect on.”

“Seirin’s style is run-and-gun style. Their individuals, aside from Kagami and Kuroko, don’t stand out that much. But they pull it off because they have one of the best teamwork I’ve ever seen. And you have to keep in mind this is the time that hasn’t been playing together for so long.”

“We’ll beat them next time.”

“Next time we’ll meet is at Inter-High,” you reply, gently reminding him of the fact you aren’t from the same region.

“You think they won’t make it there?”

“Quite the opposite. I am optimistic about them. I want to see them evolve. I believe we’ll be seeing more from Seirin than you and I can predict now. So you can bet I’m having high hopes for them.”

Kasamatsu looks at you, a bit taken aback. It’s rare for you to make such big statements about the future of one team.

“Do you regret you’re not with them?”

You smirk, shaking your head. He’s trying to hide his worry behind his cool face.

“Of course not! I’m happy right where I am. It’s not like our team is weaker, you know. They won because of the element of surprise and because you all underestimated them, including Kise.”

“He was really down, you know.” Kasamatsu actually sounds worried, so you look at him.

“So? It’s the first time that his team lost. As an ace, he needs to realize he’s not shouldering only his personal ambitions, but the hopes and wishes of the team as well. If Kise Ryouta is such a fragile player to let this break him down, he’s not suited to be an ace, and I don’t give a damn if he’s part of the Generation of Miracles or not. But, I believe this is going to prove out to be a valuable lesson for him. He already seemed to have reached a certain new conclusion.”

Kasamatsu nods. “What’s up with you and Kise anyway? You two always seem to be at something.”

“He and I have our disagreements. I’m trying to be professional enough not to let this disturb the team’s atmosphere. You don’t have to worry about it, Yukio. I’m a tough girl.”

He still doesn’t seem convinced but he doesn’t say anything. He starts talking about the game and you gladly oblige his quiet wish for the change of topic.

* * *

 

Seirin doesn’t make into the Inter-High. Kise informs you of it. He went to see the last game, and you just happen to help Kasamatsu with his shooting when he enters the gym. Ever since Kise lost against Kagami and Kuroko, he’s different. Even towards you. To be honest, you preferred the old Kise. Now he acted as if you two were the best of friends. He even started eating lunch with you, regardless whether you were eating with Kasamatsu, Moriyama, and Kobori or just with Yumi. You can’t really tell what’s the reason for the sudden change, but he has you alerted. You don’t want to get killed by his fan-girls that are already giving you suspicious looks.

“Senpai!” he calls from the doors, making Kasamatsu turn around. You too look up from the notes in your notebook.

“Wanna play one-on-one?”

“Didn’t you go to see the championship league?” asks Kasamatsu. Kise smiles, putting his bag down.

“I did.”

“And how was it?” asks Kasamatsu, shooting at the hoop, scoring.

“It made me want to play basketball.”

Kasamatsu frowns, sighting. “I don’t know what to do with you. This wasn’t what I asked.”

You throw Kasamatsu another ball, putting your notes down for a second, but Kise snatches it from his hands, starting the game.

“Seirin didn’t make it,” he says while handling the ball, preventing Kasamatsu from taking it away.

“I know. I have my sources,” you say shortly, not looking at him from your notes you took into your hands once again. You’re just dealing with a complicated offense strategy you’d like to try but you somehow just can’t get it right.

“Why didn’t you tell me if you already knew?” asks Kasamatsu although he doesn’t move his eyes from Kise.

“You didn’t ask,” you say. “Besides, Kagami sent me a message a little before Kise-kun came.”

“Aren’t you two close,” teases you Kasamatsu.

You only shake your head at him. “You should be happy, you know. I’m well connected. It comes in handy, doesn’t it?”

“You know, you two are always talking in English,” whines Kise as he passes Kasamatsu and dunks.

“So?” snaps Kasamatsu at him, annoyed he was beaten. “It doesn’t hurt to be multilingual, does it?”

He sighs then, whipping sweat from his forehead with his jersey. “I’m sorry to hear about Seirin though, but not every challenger can always come out as a winner. We’ll have to wait and see how Seirin continues from this point on.”

Kise passes Kasamatsu the ball.

“As much as I know Kagami, I’d say he’s going to look for a way to get stronger.” You again don’t look up from your notes, so you miss Kise’s annoyed look.

“Well, Kurokocchi is not going to stand still as well!”

This makes you look up. “I wasn’t looking down on Kuroko, so what’s the problem?”

“Get your head in the game, Kise!” says Kasamatsu, passing Kise with his drive but gets blocked before he can land the ball in the basket.

“Tch,” escapes you. Kasamatsu looks at you.

“I see you have something to say.”

You smile. “Am I this obvious? Well, although your footwork has improved . . . your upper body doesn’t seem to match it. It’s slower.”

“What about me, (f/n)cchi?”

“Huh? What about you?” you ask Kise, confused. It’s not like he ever particularly cared about your opinion when it came to his abilities. You know you can only be of little help to him. He pouts.

“Don’t you ever look at me?”

You raise your eyebrows. _What is he getting at?_

“I pay attention to those I can actually help. I already did what I could for you. Sorry to disappoint.”

He tilts his head to the side a little. “What do you mean?”

You sigh and close your notebook, realizing any further dealing with you notes is going to cause you a headache. “I’ve already told my suggestions for your improvement to the coach. You’ve been doing what he tells you to do, haven’t you? So I went to him, knowing you probably wouldn’t take me seriously. But this is as far as I can go. Your game style is completely different. You copy moves of the others and make them your own. I can’t help you improve your copying.”

He smiles widely, his golden eyes softening too. “So (f/n)cchi has been paying attention to me~?”

You gawk at him, while Kasamatsu’s vein starts throbbing. He added “-cchi” to your name again.

_I seriously don’t get this guy. I don’t know whether he’s mocking me or if he’s serious._

“Kise, you better not be flirting with her! If you have this much time, how about paying attention to the game you requested!” Kasamatsu's voice echoes through the gym. 

“I’ve been paying attention to everybody though?” you say, still confused. Kise wants to make a reply but Kasamatsu doesn’t give him the chance.

“Yukio, I’m going home. I have … things to do.” You blush slightly, putting your notebook into your bag. The boys stop playing.

“What things?” Kasamatsu asks you, suspiciously narrowing his eyes. Even Kise seems suspicious.

“You’re not meeting anyone, are you?” he asks, his eyes suddenly cold.

 _Why should you care?_ you think for yourself but still raise your hands in defence, shaking your head violently, surprised by their sudden attack.

“N-No! It’s nothing like that! It’s just … something.”

“Huh? (f/n), wait! You can’t just-“

“It’s daylight, Yukio. I think I’m going to be fine. See you tomorrow. You too, Kise-san.”

You run out of the gym, before either of the boys could stop you.

“Did you notice it too?” eventually says Kise after you disappear from their sight.

“Notice what?” asks Kasamatsu, looking at Kise with his steel blue eyes.

“The bags under her eyes,” says Kise simply, not looking at his captain.

“Oh … yeah. I don’t think she’s been getting enough sleep. She’s in the international department. I heard they are really strict there. And no one can complain about her manager job.”

He throws Kise a side glance, challenging him to object his last words.

“Hey, I'm not complaining! She didn’t say anything to you?” Kise’s golden eyes finally find Kasamatsu’s eyes. Kasamatsu tilts his head to the side a little.

“No … she didn’t. Kise … are you worried about her?”

The younger boy suddenly blushes, making the shot. Kasamatsu doesn’t move.

“Kise-“

“Senpai, do you by any chance like (f/n)?”

Kasamatsu blushes to the tips of his ears. Ever since you back-hugged him, although he knows you didn’t have any particular motive, he has been a little bit flustered every time he saw you. You made him confused about his feelings.

“For what I’m going to say, it doesn’t matter whether I like her or not. Nothing changes the fact (f/n) is like a sister to me and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect her.”

He looks straight into Kise’s eyes, steel blue clashing with golden. “Stay away from her. You’ll brought her nothing but pain. You can’t give her what she needs. (f/n)’s not the typical girl. She’s not one of your fan-girls. She deserves to be happy. She’s not the type to fall in love easily, that’s why she never had a boyfriend.”

“You’re kidding.” Kise’s eyes widen in surprise. Kasamatsu shakes his head.

“I’m not. Not that she didn’t have any offers, though. She has low self-esteem because she’s not the classical definition of beautiful or pretty.”

Kasamatsu sighs. “That’s why I don’t want to see her get hurt. Her self-esteem would get even lower and this could be a fatal blow after which she might never recover.”

“You still haven’t answered my question, senpai.”

Kasamatsu looks at the younger boy again. “I don’t owe you one. I told you what I wanted to say. I was being serious, Kise. I don’t care if it’s you. I won’t forgive anyone who hurts her again.”

“Again?”

Kasamatsu bites his lips, obviously angry with himself. “It’s not my story to tell. It doesn’t matter anyways. I warned you. This should be sufficient for you.”

He turns around and picks up his bag, when Kise, still holding the ball, says: “I’m sorry, senpai. But there’s something about her. I’m not saying it’s the romantic interest … but there’s something.”

Kasamatsu clenches his fists. “I warned you, Kise. It’s all I have to say. You decide what you’re going to do. But let me say it again: I won’t forgive anyone who hurts her.”

Kise nods, smiling. “You know, senpai, I didn’t know you had this in you.”

Kasamatsu’s veins pop out and he kicks Kise into the kidneys.

“Senpai~ what did I do now?” whines Kise, rubbing his back, getting up.

“Don’t say such stupid things! Idiot!”

“Yeah, you’re right. You can obviously be nice only to (f/n).”

“What did you just say?!”

Kise avoids the second kick and rushes out of the gym. “See you tomorrow, senpai~!”

Kasamatsu watches him leaving, shaking his head. He still feels uncomfortable. There’s a slight painful pressure in his chest and he feels angry with Kise for some reason.

_But then again, I’m angry with him most of the time._


	5. Hold Your Head Up High

You almost shiver on the bench as you see Aomine Daiki, the ace of the Kiseki no Sedai. His skin is very tanned and there is raw beauty in him. His aura is absolutely overwhelming. You made eye contact with him only once and you're still getting over the electricity that came with it. A small smirk appeared on his lips as he looked away first and then focused on Kise. His eyes glittered with a strange spark. Kise seemed thrilled as well.

“It’s the first clash of Kiseki no Sedai members,” says Takeuchi on the bench next to you. You barely swallow your saliva. The atmosphere is something else, you can tell the other players are feeling it as well. You wonder how the game is going to go. You notice a peach-haired girl on the other side, holding a big file of papers. She’s staring at Aomine and Kise intensely, a small smile resting on her lips. You don’t know who she is, but what you do notice is that she’s extremely … gifted. You immediately feel inferior to her as a girl. She’s very cute as well. You shift your gaze to Kasamatsu. He looks intense and … worried? You look again to be certain. But the shadow of worry disappears from Kasamatsu’s face as soon as he looks at Kise and his excitement. You smile.

_The idiot has obviously motivated everyone around him. He’s finally doing what the ace is supposed to be doing._

You clench the papers in your hands, as the referee’s whistle echoes through the hall. The game has begun. 

“I’m sorry but I’m not mature enough to play basketball with reason over instinct.” Those words echo in your ears. Kise … he’s different. He’s abandoned the selfish style of playing basketball. He’s abandoned the path of individual success. He was ready to play for the team, and not only be part of it. It’s what Kuroko apparently said to him, and something you hinted as well. He wasn’t Kise of Kiseki no Sedai anymore … he was Kise of Kaijou now. You can tell the other guys around him, although tired, smile a little, taking a deep breath. Yet, Aomine is still overwhelming. You’ve never seen such a raw talent before. He’s faster than anyone you had ever seen. And he’s only sixteen.

_Those boys … they’re monsters. It’s not normal to be this talented. It just isn’t. Aomine’s speed, agility, technique polished in street basketball, ball handling skills . . . It’s overwhelming. And he’s not even playing at his full strength?_

You’re brought back into the reality by Kaijou’s time-out. You quickly stand up to make space for the tired player. Kise sits on the end of the bench. You hand Kasamatsu water and Kise a cold towel. He’s sweating too much in your opinion.

"Don’t match their pace. Also the inside-“ starts Takeuchi.

“Coach, the thing I mentioned before the game … Let me do it.”

The whole team looks at him, including you. And you automatically take a step back, startled by the fierce look in Kise’s eyes. You’ve never seen him that serious before. There’s an intense aura surrounding him. You’re almost too afraid to stay close to him. As they walk back to the court, his eyes meet yours. There’s nothing but determination in them. You blush and sit back, almost missing the bench.

_So this is how it looks like when Kise really gets serious about basketball._

The game continues and Kise is facing Aomine again. He manages to get Aomine foul him. You can tell Kasamatsu is annoyed with Aomine for some reason. They are talking but you don’t hear what they’re saying. Hayakawa is as energetic as ever, wanting to hug Kasamatsu, but he pushes him away, annoyed. Moriyama seems worried though. He seems doubtful. You’re about to yell something encouraging but Kasamatsu’s voice reaches your ears before you can open your mouth.

“It’s not a matter if we can or can’t do it! We’re going to do it! Believe in our ace!”

 

Things however, don’t improve and you’re falling behind after the first half. You walk into the locker room behind the players. They all seem gloomy. Kise looks extremely tired. You bite your lips. You feel responsible for this. You didn’t get much data on Touou Academy, much less on Aomine Daiki.

“Kise … I’m sorry,” you say through clenched teeth. Kise halts, turning towards you, shocked.

“What are you sorry about, (f/n)cchi?”

“If I was as capable as the manager you had before … maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

You don’t dare to look him into the eyes. That was extremely hard to admit. You feel like crying. But then you suddenly feel a warm hand patting you on the head.

“Don’t be stupid, (f/n)cchi. You’ve done what you could. Don’t worry about it. We still have second half to make it.”

His eyes are warm but his words don’t sound as honest to you. You silently walk into the locker room. Hayakawa starts his usual energetic complaining about how he couldn’t get enough rebounds, while Moriyama tries to tell him for the infinite time he can’t get rebounds if the ball goes in. Kasamatsu looks grim as he looks at Kise.

“How long is that thing of yours going to take?”

Kise looks deadly serious, there’s no trace of his usual happiness. “At the earliest, I will be able to pull it off in third quarter … If I mess up, it won’t be until near the end of the fourth quarter.”

This leaves everyone serious and worried. Then Kise suddenly stands up.

“Excuse me, senpai, but could I go outside for a while?”

You’re certain Kasamatsu is going to get annoyed but he’s perfectly calm, although a little surprised. “Yeah, sure. Make sure you are dressed enough and come back before the game starts.”

Kise nods, passing you without looking at you. As he leaves, the atmosphere becomes even gloomier. You want to encourage them but you can’t seem to find the words to do it.

“We basically have to play the whole third quarter without Kise,” says Kobori, looking thoughtful. All the players look worried. Kasamatsu closes his eyes. He’s anxious as well.

“We’ll do it.” He opens his eyes, determination shining from them.

 _Yukio…_ You’re shocked to see such a transformation. He’s acting like a real captain now. He knows the players are looking the mental stability and they expect him to provide it for them. He takes a big breath.

“(f/n), could you go and check on Kise? I’m afraid that idiot is going to get lost.”

You nod. You suddenly feel undesired. You understand. The boys have a lot to talk about and you can’t really be of any use. You’ve already told your observations to the coach. However, against Aomine, you had no solution. You came up with a solution on how to shut down every single player from Touou Academy, even Imayoshi, but not Aomine. And that was the missing link the team needed, but you couldn’t provide it for them. You are walking around, looking for Kise. When you finally spot him, you run to him.

“The game is about to start. Yukio is looking for you.”

He nods. “Let’s go back, then.”

You follow him, embarrassed you cannot help him more.

 

The third quarter begins. Your eyes are wide opened as Kise is giving his all. His moves look similar to Aomine. You are writing down the notes as fast as you can, for the future games. Kise’s moves are similar to Aomine but they still lack in speed and agility to pass the original. Kaijou is slowly gaining on them, but then Aomine makes such an absurd shot the entire hall goes silent. Your voice gets stuck in your throat. Aomine and Kise are talking, Kise looking shocked, while Aomine almost looks angry. Kasamatsu takes the ball, clenching his teeth.

 _A fifteen point difference . . . That’s our deadline_ , he thinks and you think of the exact same thing.

You look at the coach. He nods grimly, guessing your thoughts. Kasamatsu tries to pass Imayoshi, the guy with glasses, but he can’t.

_Yukio!_

You clench your fists, biting your lips. He makes a desperate attempt, but the ball’s spin is off. Hayakawa looks hungry for the rebound under the net. The boys manage to score.

_Twelve points._

Touou is on the offense now, Imayoshi passes the ball to Sakurai, the three point shooter. Kasamatsu looks scared, as he knows he’s going to be too slow. Moriyama appears out of nowhere, blocking the shot.

 _They’re desperate in their own way_ , you think for yourself. Kaijou has the ball now. Kise is running after Moriyama, looking surprised.

“Just do your job, Kise,” you hear Moriyama say. He suddenly stops.

“In return, introduce me to some girls later.”

You’d burst into laughter if the situation wasn’t so serious. Hayakawa seems shocked nevertheless.

“Wh(at) are y(ou) talk(ing) about, Mori(yama)-san? We’re in the mid(dle) of the (ga)me here!”

Kise looks surprised for a moment but smiles in the next one. He watches the backs of his teammates, Kuroko’s definition of a “team” echoing in his head. He had respected Aomine since he started playing basketball because of him in the first place. He could never beat him. Now, this respect was getting in his way. He needed to start thinking like Aomine, believing himself to be invincible if he was ever to copy him. You notice Kise’s posture dropping … this feeling. Your eyes widen. Kise passes Aomine, drawing out a foul. Imayoshi says something to Kasamatsu and you notice a sly smile on Kasamatsu’s face as he replies something that escapes your ears in the midst of the crowd's cheers.

The game continues and Kise is dominating. But Aomine isn’t falling behind. There’s a menacing aura coming from him as well. The third quarter ends. Kise’s breathing is heavy and he’s sweating even more. You put ice on his neck, sorry you can’t do more. Moriyama next to him looks tired as well.

“Are you okay?” he asks Kise, who nods.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You know, we’ll still need you to catch up, even if Aomine gets kicked out because of fouls.” The words escape your lips. The boys look at you, nodding in agreement. 

"She’s right. We need you to stand until the end,” says Moriyama. Kise looks really tired but still manages a smile.

“No problem. Even though it might be hard to believe, but I did run when we had our days off.”

Hayakawa wants to butt in but no one understand what he wishes to say because he’s stuttering so bad.

“I believe in you. I always have,” says Moriyama eventually with a smile, standing up. Kasamatsu, still annoyed because of Hayakawa, also stands up.

“You’re naïve.”

Kise’s eyes widen then soften at Kasamatsu's words. The tiredness seems to go away as he follows his teammates. You bite your lip. You want to say something but words get stuck in your throat.

 _Go for it … Kaijou!_ You push your thought out and hope the boys know your feelings as well.

The intensity on the basketball court is insane. You’re completely absorbed into the game, exhausted just from watching. It’s an all-out brawl, both aces keeping their teams alive. When Aomine intercepts the ball Kise faked to pass to the Kasamatsu, the hall goes silence. Kise seems shocked. Then Kasamatsu suddenly hits him, urging him to get ready for the next play.

“This game isn’t over yet, Kise!” he yells at him. Kise turns around, with Hayakawa, Moriyama, Kasamatsu, and Kobori, all looking at him with a smile. Time is running out, and both teams are doing their best. Then Aomine gets the ball and jumps to dunk. Kise jumps with him, trying to block him, but Aomine is stronger, dunking the ball into the basket over Kise. The sound of the ball, falling to the floor is deafening. Kise falls to the floor with quite an impact. You jump to your feet, your hands clasping your mouth. The match is over. Touou won with 110:98. Even through your teary eyes, you can see Kise’s expression. You feel bad for him. He’s trying to get up, but he can’t. His legs are shaking. All the boys stare at him in utter shock.

“Someone help him get up!” you yell at them, since you're not allowed to enter the court yet. Kise hits the floor in anger. Aomine is towering above him, looking down at him with a cold stare. Kise’s whole body is shaking, as he is clenching his teeth from anger and desperation. Finally, Kasamatsu snaps out of it first, and offers him hand. Kise looks up.

“Can you stand? Hang in there just a little longer. It’s almost done.”

“Senpai, I-“ Kise looks down, biting his lip. Then Kasamatsu bends, supporting Kise’s weight by throwing Kise’s arm around his shoulders. He pats Kise’s head as they walk towards the other boys.

“You did well, Kise. Besides, it’s not over yet. You can pay him back this winter at the Winter Cup,” says Kasamatsu, making your tears finally escaping your eyes. You don’t ever care that your make-up is going to get ruined. You notice Kise is crying as well. You’re shocked though.

_Aomine was Kise’s teammate yet he didn’t even bother to help him get up or say anything to him._

As the boys bow, they try to look tough as they are coming back to the sad bench. As you follow them to the locker room, you hear Kasamatsu’s voice from the front.

“Quit moping around and stop sulking! We gave all we had! We’re still in the country’s top eight! There’s no shame in that! Hold your heads high!”

The boys all look startled but you catch a glimpse of pride in their eyes. You wipe away your tears as well. As expected from Yukio, he’s going to say the right words in the right moment.

* * *

 

You wait for the boys to change.

“Where’s Yukio?” you ask at the same time as Kise, as you are already walking out of the hall.

“He said he’ll come soon,” says Moriyama.

“I’ll go check on him,” you say at the same time as Kise again. You both look surprised by it, but you run back to the locker room.

“Don’t bother.” Moriyama’s voice reaches you. Kise stops but you continue. You don’t care. You’ve been at your lowest point before, and Kasamatsu was there for you when you needed him the most. He can push you away as much as he wants for all you care. Kise looks at Moriyama.

“You’re right. If I have time for this, I should probably move forward, even if it’s just one little step at the time.”

Moriyama smiles at him. “Let (f/n)-chan deal with him.” Then his face darkens. “I only hope she can handle Kasamatsu in such a mood.”

You don’t bother knocking. You open the doors and enter into the dark locker room. You close the doors behind. Kasamatsu is on his knees, his mouth opened in a quiet scream of pain, while tears are rolling down his cheek like a waterfall. You drop your bag. He looks up, his face twisted in pain.

“Leave me alone.”

You shake your head in refusal.

“Damn it, (f/n)! GO AWAY! I DON’T WANT YOU HERE!” He punches the locker with his fist from anger. He looks angry, hurt, and desperate.

“I can’t leave you like this, Yukio.” You sound calmer than you feel.

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, A SAINT? I DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO COMFORT YOU RIGHT NOW, NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT YOU!”

“I don’t need you to comfort me, Yukio.” You really don’t.

“WHICH PART OF ‘LEAVE ME ALONE’ DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? JUST GO! I CAN’T DEAL WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.”

You don’t move. He jumps back to his feet, looking furious.

“Listen, (f/n). It’s a high time you’ve shown me some respect. You’re in Japan right now, and I’m older than you! If I tell you to leave, you’re going to bow and do as I say!”

“I couldn’t give a shit about this even if I wanted to. Not when you’re involved. I know you’re hurt, Yu-“

“SHUT UP!” He drops to his knees again, his hands supporting his shaking body as soundless sobs make him tremble. Before Kasamatsu can say anything, you drop to the floor as well. You can’t kneel but you sit down and pull him into a hug. He tries to push you away, not wanting you to see him like that, but you squeeze him even harder. Despite his resistance.

“Don’t, Yukio. Don’t blame yourself. Blame me, if you must. Vent it out on me, but don’t hide this pain and keep it for yourself. You can yell at me all you want, if that’s going to make you feel better. But know that you’re not alone.”

He stops resisting, and slowly relaxes. His hands then tightly grip your hoodie. He buries his face into your neck where you can feel the wetness of his tears. You don’t mind though.

“I know, I know. It hurts.”

He lets out a sob, followed by another. His grip was going to leave a mark, you know, but you don’t care. You hate seeing him like this, shouldering the whole responsibility by himself.

“You gave it all you had. You can leave this locker without regrets and with a head held high. Sometimes, you have to listen to your own advice as well.”

He can’t reply, only broken voice escapes his lips in a failed attempt to laugh.

“I promise you, Yukio, that I’m going to give everything in my power to get you to the finals of the Winter Cup. I don’t care, even if it kills me.”

You don’t know if he can hear you, but you don’t care either. He slowly calms down, his body shaking less and less, until the shaking finally stops. He inhales the smell of your perfume, and enjoys the comfort of your body warmth. He would never admit it, but he’s happy you came after him. He’s happy to know he’s not alone, that there’s someone who can understand him.

“Seems like you’re now the one comforting me,” he chuckles slightly as his tears finally stop flowing. He gently breaks the hug but his hands are still gently holding your hands. You chuckle as well.

“Sometimes, a girl can be a knight in the shining armour as well. Or let’s say a princess in the shining armour.”

For the moment, there’s a connection between your eyes. Kasamatsu’s eyes are slowly shaking as he leans a little bit forward. You gawk. You didn’t expect him to do that. He then stops and smiles, the connection you had broken.

“Come, let’s not keep the others waiting for too long.” He helps you get up.

“Wash your face. Your crying face is not something I want to see often,” you tease him.

“You’re way uglier when you cry than I am,” he shots back at you, making you laugh.

 

You two walk down the hall, looking for an exit.

“I’m sorry that I lashed out on you. You’re really too stubborn for your own good.”

You dismiss his apology with your hand. “Don’t be ridiculous, Yukio. There’s nothing you could do to make me turn away from you at that time. I know you didn’t mean anything you said. It was anger and disappointment talking from you. Not the Yukio I know.”

He pats your head and gently ruffles your hair, even though he knows how much this annoys you. “Thanks.”

You smirk. “Don’t mention it.”

Kasamatsu then turns away, finding the guys standing at the entrance.

“Seems like she managed to calm him down. He looks like his usual self,” says Moriyama with a smile resting on his lips.

“It appears our fear was groundless,” nods Kobori, and smiles as well. You don’t see Kise standing with them so you look around. You see him talking to the peach-haired girl you saw on the Touou’s bench.

“Momoicchi, you really outdid yourself this time,” Kise pouts.

The girl laughs. “Don’t be silly, Ki-chan.”

_K-Ki-chan?_

Kise seems annoyed by that. “Could you please stop calling me like this? It’s annoying,” he complains, but the girl named Momoi only shakes her head with a wide smile.

“Ki-chan will always be Ki-chan. By the way, you’ve done well. You surprised us, you know. You made my data look somewhat outdated. You’ve all improved.”

“It still wasn’t enough, was it? Looks like our data was more outdated. We totally weren’t prepared for some things and we couldn’t beat you. Seems like you’re really the best manager I’ll ever have. No one can reach you,” he says, scratching his head.

He then suddenly turns, as if he would feel your presenece, meeting your eyes. You stare at him with shock, pressing your hands tightly to your chest. You can feel all the blood draining from your face.

“Hey, (f/n). Are you okay?” Kasamatsu asks next to you, looking worried.

“Y-Yeah. It’s nothing. I’m fine.” You look away from Kise, hiding your pain, and continue walking.

“Is there something wrong, Ki-chan?” asks Momoi, looking confused as Kise suddenly blushes and clenches his fists.

“I think I just said something I shouldn’t have. See you around, Momoicchi. Good luck in the semi-finals.”

He then runs after his team. “Senpai, are you okay?” he asks when he reaches Kasamatsu.

You intentionally avoid his gaze.

“Huh? Why wouldn’t I be?” Kasamatsu seems annoyed he even asked. “You’re lucky you gave your all, otherwise I’d hit you right now.”

Kise stretches, putting his hands behind his head. “We still have a long way ahead of us.”

“Of course. But we’ll take it nevertheless,” responds Kasamatsu. “Right, (f/n)?”

You don’t register their conversation as you are absorbed into your own thoughts.

_He has all the right to complain. I’m the manager, I should be doing some scouting on the teams we play against, and not just look through the already existing data. I didn’t have the time to do it properly. If only I did, this might have a different ending. Then Yukio wouldn’t have to cry, and Kise …_

You suddenly feel a hand, resting on your shoulder, and you flinch from being startled. Kasamatsu looks at you, his eyes questionable. “Are you okay, (f/n)?”

“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention,” you admit, blushing.

“I said we’re going to take any road, no matter how long it is.”

“Oh … yeah, sure. Do your best.”

It comes out distracted and half-heartedly. Kasamatsu and Kise exchange looks.

“You sure you okay?”

“Yukio, I swear to God if you ask me one more time … I’m fine. You shouldn’t worry about me. Worry about yourself and the team.”

“You’re part of the team.”

You let out a desperate sigh. “If you say so.”

You then go ahead, leaving the two behind. Kasamatsu wants to say something, but it’s Kise who stops him.

“Don’t push her, senpai. She will open up when she’ll be ready. I’m sure she too is thinking about how to continue to fight.”

“Don’t act like you know her, Kise. Besides, she always seems to get down when you’re around. I don’t know what you two had in the past, but could you please let go? It seems to be bothering her much, and she already doesn’t look well.”

Kise looks into the floor, blushing. “I never meant it like that.”

Kasamatsu stops. “You go ahead, we’ll catch you up,” he says to the other guys. The whole teams nods. Your eyes widen in surprise, when Kasamatsu signals you to go ahead as well.

“What happened?”he then asks, as all of you are out of the hearing radar. 

Kise scratches his head.

“Well, you know that Touou’s manager used to be our manager at Teiko school?”

Kasamatsu nods. “What does she have to do with (f/n)?”

“She and (f/n) are different. (f/n) has a different approach so I was confused about it at the beginning. Momoicchi always provided us with the detailed data and analysis of the opponent, so we knew exactly what to expect, if you know what I mean. (f/n) seems to focus more on her team, rather than-“

“Are you really that stupid as you look like?” Kasamatsu asks through clenched teeth.

“Eh?”

“(f/n) is nothing like Momoi. Momoi watched your team fell apart, and did nothing. (f/n) would never do something like this. Didn’t you see her taking notes throughout the whole game? She’s trying her best to be supportive, even though she has school work pilling up on her, and her own problems to deal with. And you just go and compare her to someone who’s completely different? I’m disappointed in you, Kise. I thought you knew better than that.”

“I told you, senpai, I didn’t mean it like that. It was more of an observation than a critic. You could say I was testing her. I’m not complaining about her job, she’s doing great.”

“That’s why I told you to stay away from her. You’re too careless. You just go and say everything you want, not realizing how much your words can hurt her. You think she’s not blaming herself right now? I bet she’ll cry her heart out once she gets home, feeling useless. You sure didn’t do her the favour just now.”

“She’s not so fragile, senpai. She’s not going to quit over something like this,” says Kise, determined.

“You’re right. She won’t quit. She’s going to find another way and work herself to the bones if she has to. But her self-esteem will drop even lower. Nothing she’s going to do will seem to be good enough. You don’t know her like I do. Don’t just go around like you actually do.”

“She’s a great manager.” Kise’s voice stops Kasamatsu on his track. “And she’s a great girl as well. I’ll make sure she realizes this by herself as well.”

A small smile appears on Kasamatsu’s face. “Then tell her that as well. Come on, we have to go now. We’re going to miss the train.”

Kise smiles as well, hurrying after his captain. You look at them questionably as they emerge out of the crowd. They don’t seem to be in a bad mood, so they obviously didn’t fight. You’re somewhat relieved. The last thing this team would need is an argument between the two most important players.


	6. Friends

“We’re going to go on a summer camp. Take a day off to recover and regain your strength, and determination. Then we’ll resume the practices. Prepare to work even harder than before. At the Winter Cup, no one is going to surprise us. We’re leaving in two weeks.”

 _Summer training camp?_ _So we really are going?  
_

You look away from Takeuchi, to see the reaction of the boys, and they all seem excited.

“Was there even such a training camp planned?” asks Moriyama, who is standing next to you. 

You shake your head. “Not really. There were some talks about it, but nothing certain. But the coach and the staff have agreed this is what you guys need right now. To regain your strength and find yourselves again.”

“Huh? (f/n)cchi knew about this?” Kise suddenly burst into the circle in which you, Kasamatsu, Moriyama and Kobori are standing.

You look surprised. “No, I didn’t know it's fixed. I just heard about that now. Guess I’ll have to cancel my trip to New York.”

“You wanted to go see your brother?” asks Kasamatsu, smiling a little at you.

You nod. “He’s free at that time, but the coach asked me to come with you as well. I couldn’t say no. My brother will have to understand, although I really don't like letting him down like this. But this,” you say, making a move with your hand as if you're going to embrace them all, "is more important right now. And someone’s got to make sure you behave."

They all chuckle at your comment.

“Don’t expect to have a leisure time at the training camp. Because we've made the last-minute reservation, the inn we’re staying at doesn’t offer any other meal aside from breakfast. I hope you can cook,” says Takeuchi, looking at the boys.

All eyes turn to you.

“Hey!” you exclaim, insulted. “Just because I’m a girl it doesn’t mean pro se that I can also cook!”

“But you _can_ cook,” says Kasamatsu with a sly smile.

The whole team looks relieved and you are put into a very unpleasant situation.

“I hate cooking,” you pout. “And I can’t prepare many dishes.”

The smiles on the faces of the boys drop. They all look at you somewhat accusing.

 _Well excuse me, misters! But this is 21st century. Boys should be able to prepare something to! Why should I wear an apron just because I’m a girl?_   You return them the stare stubbornly.

“Well, we’ll have to figure this out,” says Takeuchi with a smile. “Time to put on some aprons, boys.”

 _Now that’s man for you, boys!_ you think for yourself, barely stopping yourself from smiling.

“Oh man,” echoes through the gym the sound of disapproval.

“You’re dismissed. Use today and tomorrow wisely and get some rest,” says the coach.

The boys scatter around; everyone’s talking about the summer camp.

You signal the boys to wait for you, then run after Takeuchi. “Uhm, coach?”

“What is it, (f/n)-chan?”

“I think I might have an idea …”

 

Kise and Kasamatsu are waiting for you. You can’t understand why Kise’s there. You two haven’t spoken ever since you heard him say things that hurt you to Momoi.

“(f/n)cchi, I owe you an apology.”

_I did not expect this._

You gap at him with big eyes, but manage to remain composed. “Why?” you ask calmly.

“You know I wasn’t intending to be rude to you. You’re different than what I was used to. It’s not a bad different. It’s just new. It’s taken me some time to get used to it. What I mean is that I respect your way. You’re doing a good job.”

He beams you a blinding smile that makes your heart skip a bit. You blush and you feel some burden taken away from you.

“Besides … I’m going to be the one to take (f/n)’s heart.”

A sly smile appears on Kise’s face. Kasamatsu veins pop out again, as you just gawk at Kise, unsure of what to think.

“Just sayin~ see you guys!”

And he runs away, before Kasamatsu could reach him.

“That idiot! What the hell is he saying?!”

“No idea. I can’t decipher this guy. I can never tell when he’s serious and when he’s joking. What does he even mean by that?” you ask, confused as well.

Your phone starts ringing, Kagami’s name appearing on the screen. You signal Kasamatsu for a second and answer the call.

“Taiga, I was wondering when you’re going to call me. I saw you amongst the audience.”

You hear him chuckle on the other side. “Sharp as always. I’m sorry though. It was a good fight. It made me want to play basketball.”

You chuckle as well. “I bet it did. You’re such a simpleton, Taiga. But I’m glad there’s people like you. What were you doing there anyway?”

“Only you can insult and compliment me in the same sentence,” he sighs. “We were having our first training camp nearby so we decided to come and watch the game. It was the first clash of members of Generation of Miracles.”

“You seem keen on taking them all.”

“That’s the plan. We’re going to become the best in Japan.”

You smile. “Challenge accepted. Bring it on, we’ll be waiting for you. I believe we still have some unfinished business between us.”

You hear him laugh.

“This sounds more like you. I’m glad I was worried for nothing.”

“So you called me to check on me? You should know I don’t give up that easily. You just wait and see. We’ll come at you with everything we’ve got so you better make it to the Winter Cup, Taiga. We’ll settle our bills there.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Okay then, I’m glad we’re on the same page. I’ll see you around, then.”

“Sure thing.”

You smile and hang up. Kasamatsu is looking at you with a smile.

“I’m really grateful for my English in times like these,” he says. "I think I can guess what you two were talking about." 

“It appears we’ve got ourselves a challenge,” you say, a sparkle appearing in your eye.

“I’ve got another phone call to make when I get home. It’s going to be the summer camp you’re all going to remember.”

Kasamatsu looks at you, surprised by your sudden determination. But this is how you usually are. No matter how hard things get, you always find a way to get up and start again.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, Yukio.”

“You read my mind,” he smiles as you two walk home together.

“This is what I do,” you tease him. “It was a good day today. It’ll give me a lot of work, but I’m going to make sure I don’t leave anything out.”

Kasamatsu looks at you fondly, only because you’re not looking at him. He would never show you such a face because he’s too embarrassed.

“Don’t overwork yourself, okay? In the end, it’s just a club and extra activity. So you don’t have to push yourself too much.”

“Are you kidding me? Who are you and what have you done to Yukio?”

He chuckles at your outraged expression. “I’m just saying. I didn’t mean you can take it easy though. I wouldn’t forgive you if you did.”

“That’s more like it. I might as well go all-out on this. Who knows when we’ll get a chance like this ever again?”

“Do you know for how long we’re leaving?”

“Two weeks. Weren’t you paying attention?”

“This information escaped me somehow. You won’t have any problems because you’ll be the only girl, right?”

You roll your eyes at him. “Please. I’m not a bit worried. Besides, you’ll be there. What do I have to worry about?”

Your trust in him makes Kasamatsu feel warm inside. He smiles a little. “You’re right. I won’t let anyone come near you.”

“The Demon captain strikes again,” you tease him. “Don’t worry. If everything goes right, you really won’t have anything to worry about.”

He starts questioning you, but you refuse to tell him more, no matter how hard he tries and complains about it. When you stop at your house, you turn around.

“I know you’ve been intentionally avoiding it. Not just you, but Kise as well, not that I particularly care about that. You know you’re going to have to talk about today’s match sooner or later, right?”

Kasamatsu nods, his blue eyes dark. “I know … it’s just that everything is so raw. I’m not ready to re-live it yet. I bet it will hunt me in my dreams tonight. It’s going to be a long night.”

You nod. “Well, if you’ll need me, you know where to find me.”

He nods, biding you goodbye. You enter the house just in time for dinner. You tell your parents about the game and your plan.

“I’ll talk to the coach as well. It wouldn’t hurt if I check the condition of the boys before you leave for the summer camp,” says your mother and you look gratefully at her.

“Thanks mum. It means a lot you’re doing this.”

“Don’t be silly, (y/n). I don’t mind at all. They’re a nice team and good guys. You’re lucky to have chosen Kaijou.”

You nod. “I know I am. Dad, once I get the CD, mind going through the game with me. Two pairs of eyes are better than one.”

“You still trust into the sharpness of your old man?” your father laughs. “Of course. We’ll see the game together. Now go, and make that call. I’m sure he won’t reject you.”

You nod, thankful for your parents, as you rush into your room.

_Here goes nothing._

You dial a number and a familiar voice greets you on the other side.

“Hi (your brother’s name). What’s up? I have a proposition for you and I think you’re going to like it.”

 

Your brother isn’t happy about you not coming to New York, but he’ll think about your suggestion. You also pull your “you’re-my-older-brother” card even though you hate using it.

 _Girl’s gotta use all of her weapons_ , you think after you finish the long conversation. You take a shower and let the warm water wash away all the sadness you’ve experienced.

Just thinking about the game brings the adrenaline back. It’s around 8pm when you get an unexpected phone call.

_Huh? What does he want?_

You are playing with the thought of not picking up but you decide you will in the end. You wouldn’t hear the end of it otherwise.

“What is it, Kise?” You make it loud and clear that you're not particularly thrilled to hear from him. 

“(f/n)cchi, why so cold~?” he whines over the phone. You can hear the faint sounds of music in the background.

“Kise, don’t tell me you’re in a club?” _And please don't let this be one of those drunk-calls._

“Aw, are you worried about me?”

“No. But you’re underage and it would be really bad if someone saw you.”

“Don’t worry. I’m at home. Why did you sound so surprised before?”

“Well, it’s unusual for you to call me. I imagine you have a particular reason.”

“Were you jealous today?”

_What the hell? Of all of the things he could have said ..._

“Seriously Kise, what’s wrong with you?! Why would I be jealous?” Your voice is louder than you intended.

“You don’t have to be, you know. _You’re_ my manager now.”

“I’m _Kaijou’s_ manager. This makes me everyone’s manager, you idiot. Don’t flatter yourself.”

You hear him chuckle. “I bet this took your thoughts from the game.”

Kise really did come up with the weirdest and most unexpected things.

“How did you know?” You notice your voice doesn't sound as annoyed as before. 

“You think I don’t know you, but I do know some things about you. Don’t you think I haven’t noticed your tears? You care for this team.”

“You were crying your eyes out as well,” you remind him.

“I won’t deny I didn’t. I’m not ashamed of it, though. Of course I’d want to have another chance but I did my best so I have no regrets. It’s not over yet after all.”

“I still don’t know why you called me though. Shouldn’t you talk about these things with Yukio or Kobori or Moriyama?” You really want to get him straight to the point. 

“Kasamatsu-senpai won’t answer my phone calls~” he whines, sounding like his usual self.

“No surprise in here. I was thinking of doing the same. I really don’t feel like playing a psychologist right now.”

“(f/n)cchi, why so cold?!”

You sigh, smiling a little against your will. “So tell me, what did you want to talk about? You must have a reason to call me.”

You can tell he’s smiling over the phone.

“Nothing really, I just wanted to hear your voice. I know I haven’t been exactly nice to you, I just didn’t trust you. And I’m sorry about this. I wanted to give you a push towards what I thought was the right way, but I failed to notice at first that you’re different. I don’t want you to feel bad because of my mistake.”

You sit down, blushing. You’re grateful he can’t see you. He seems careless and easy-going but he can say deep things and get unexpectedly serious.

“Why do you call me with that "–cchi" suffix of yours?” You decide now would be the time to solve this mystery once and for all. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asks, surprise evident in his voice. “It’s because I acknowledge your abilities and I respect you. I thought you already knew that.”

“You started using it all of a sudden. After we had our … eh, argument. I thought you were just trying to make fun of me.”

He chuckles with disbelief. “You can be really silly sometimes. I would never sink so low to make fun of someone like this. I respect you because you’ve earned it. And I’m sorry for the way I acted today. I don’t blame you for anything, you know. You did help us out a lot, and the team has improved. I shouldn’t expect you to do something I thought was the right thing to do.”

“I guess I accept your apology, then.”

There’s a silence on the other side.

“Kise? Hello?” _Did he pass out or something??  
_

“Are you free tomorrow?”

The sudden question startles you. “What? Well, y-yeah. I mean –“

“I don’t have anything to do tomorrow as well. Let’s go to Osaka or Tokyo.”

“ _H-Huh?!_ ”

His sudden suggestion almost makes you drop your phone.

“Where do you want to go? We can go to that Harry Potter theme park or Disneyland!”

He sounds excited while you’re just opening and closing your mouth like a fish.

“Kise… why would you want to spend one of the rare free days you get with me? I mean, no offence, but we’re not that close.” It comes out blunt and you regret the harshness, but Kise doesn’t seem to mind. He’s being his carefree, flamboyant usual self.

“Whaaat? I thought we were friends! We even eat lunch together!”

“T-That’s because you decided to tag along out of the blue! I don’t remember inviting you!” _He really needs to stop living in his own fantasy world!_

He laughs on the other side. “I promise I won’t bite you. Take this as my way of making it up to you, okay? It doesn’t even have to be a date. Just two friends, getting to know each other. I thought you like amusement parks.”

_Who on Earth told him that?_

You don’t remember ever talking to him about it. Perhaps he overheard the conversation you had with Kasamatsu. You were bugging him to go to an amusement park with you, but he wasn’t a fan of the amusement parks.

“I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer~”

“Ugh, fine! I’ll go the Harry Potter theme park with you. You’re lucky I’m a sucker for Harry Potter,” you give in, annoyed because you knew he wasn’t going to start pushing you until you gave in. He was more than capable showing up at your house as well, although you weren’t sure if he knew where you lived. You weren’t willing to take your chances though.

“That’s the spirit! Shall we meet at the station at, let’s say, 6am?”

“6am?!” _Is this guy for real? One of the rare free days and I have to get up so early?!  
_

“Don’t want to get stuck in the crowd, do you?” he teases you.

“You’re killing me, Kise! It’s our free day!”

“Either this, or we’ll be stuck in the crowd and we’ll spend the day waiting in the line.”

“Fine. I’ll meet you there. You better not be late.”

“Right back at ya’,” he says playfully.

“Seriously, Kise. I don’t know how to deal with you.”

“Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. And one more thing, (f/n)cchi.”

 _Oh God, what now?_ You can only take that much, so you're praying he won't drop another bomb on you. 

“Just call me Ryouta. See you tomorrow~”

He hangs up on you before you can reply. Did he just offer you to call him by his first name?

 _This guy is uber weird._ _And I just agreed to spend the whole day with him. I hope my sanity remains undamaged._

“Dad! Can you drop me at the train station tomorrow, on your way to work?” you yell from your room.

“Sure thing, sweetie! Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah … we’re free tomorrow, so the ace of our basketball team, you know the ridiculously talented guy I was telling you about, asked me to go the Harry Potter theme park in Osaka with him tomorrow.”

_Why the hell am I yelling to my dad downstairs from my room? Just ... Lord help me._

“Are you going on a date with Kise?!” Your mum suddenly appears in your room, making you fall out of chair from shock.

“Mum, stop doing this! You scared the hell out of me!”

“Mind the language, young lady.” She rolls her eyes at you, and sits down on your bed. “So, are you going out with Kise or not?”

“Geez mum, stop being so nosy. It’s not a date. We’re going there as … friends, although I’m not ever sure if we’re friends to begin with.”At least you don't feel like being that close to him ... or are you wrong? 

_I never know where I stand with Kise._

“He’s a good guy, you know. Not to mention extremely handsome!”

“That’s the problem,” you mutter. “He’ll get surrounded by girls the moment they spot him.”

“Well, you can fight for your man, can’t you? I didn’t raise such a weak girl! You’re so hot-blooded when it comes to anything else, I’m sure you can stand up for Kise as well!”

“Oh my God mum, just what?! He’s not _my_ man! He’s _waaaaay_ out of my reach, and I’m planning to live a little longer. I don’t have a death wish, you know.”

“(f/n)! Are you being a coward?!”

You gawk at your mother. “Are you seriously trying to say you want to see me get bullied?! Do you have any idea how many fan-girls does that guy have at school only?”

Your mother rolls your eyes at you. “And you think Kise would just stand there and do nothing?”

 _Well, if you put it like that …_ You can’t think of an immediate comeback.

“W-Well, I’m sure he wouldn’t really do much! He can’t afford to be hated, he’s almost like e celebrity! Besides, you said it yourself! He’s handsome alright! Guys like him –“

“Stop being so judgemental. I thought you knew him better than this.”

Your mother’s strict voice makes you stop.

“You act like you know him,” you say, raising your eyebrows.

“He came into my studio once. I can’t tell you why, because it’s private. But he’s really kind and funny, you know. We talked for quite a long time and he didn’t strike me as anything you described him. Be nice to him tomorrow, okay?”

You feel like crying. Your mum is siding with Kise. Perhaps Kasamatsu really was your only ally.

“Fine, I’ll do my best.”

“He’ll do his best to enable you to have a good time, you know. Tell him I say hi~” and with those words your mother almost dances out of the room.

“Who is this Kise guy?” you can hear your father’s voice downstairs. You close the doors, not wanting to hear the further discussion. You will have to find a way to keep your dad in the car, so he won’t be able to bombard Kise or even ask him to come to dinner.

_Seriously, why is everyone making such a big deal out of this? I have this feeling I’m going to regret this …_

* * *

 

* (e/c) - eye colour

 

You barely recognize Kise. You’ve never really seen him outside of the school and the gym. Not that you would have a reason to see him outside of them. He’s dressed rather casual, wearing knee length jeans and a simple white T-shirt, and a black hat, with expensive looking sunglasses tucked on his T-shirt. He’s wearing black All-stars shoes. He wouldn’t stand out from the crowd if it wasn’t for his height ... and the looks. Before your father can say anything, you quickly thank him for the ride and literally run out of the car.

“Right on time,” smiles Kise at you, his eyes scanning you. You’re wearing shorts and a light blue tunic. You blush because of his action. 

“You look great,” he comments and smiles, his golden eyes glowing weirdly. You roll your eyes but then you remember you promised your mother to be nice.

“Thanks. It’s probably the make-up. You’d be running for the hills if you saw me without it. Besides,” you say, scanning him as well. He actually blushes, making you smirk. “You don’t look bad yourself. Trying to keep a low profile?”

“I don’t think I’d be running for the hills even if you did show up without make-up. But it suits you. Especially around the eyes, it makes your (e/c) eyes stand out. It’s nice.”

You blush and he chuckles.

“I’m not keeping a low profile, it’s how I usually dress. You think that just because I occasionally model, I’d wear brands and stuff?”

You two buy the tickets to Osaka and head down to the departing place.

“I don’t know, I haven’t really see you outside of the school and the gym, you know. You saw me in my normal clothes. I mean, I was wearing a Kaijou hoodie, but yeah, you know what I mean.”

“You really don’t have a high opinion of me, do you?” he asks bitterly, and smirks. “I’m not that snobbish. I don’t judge people based on their looks only. I learned looks can be very misleading. What good does it do if you’re good looking but have a rotten personality?”

“I have to admit you’re the last person I’d expect to hear this from,” you say surprised.

“I’m full of surprises,” he smiles. “Not to mention I absolutely adore Harry Potter.”

Your eyes widen in surprise. “You do?”

He chuckles, patting your head. You instictively slap his hand away but he doesn't look offended by it. 

“Do you think I would suggest going to the Harry Potter park if I weren’t at least a bit into Harry Potter? Wait, this came out wrong.”

You burst into laughter, shaking your head. “You don’t strike me as a fantasy-loving type.”

“That what kind of the type did you take me for.”

“No type whatsoever. I haven’t really thought about it,” you admit, making him pout.

“Wow, that was harsh. But what would you say if you had to take a guess?”

“Comedy.”

He smiles. “Why is that?”

You shrug, not completely sure. “I don’t know. You’re easy-going, carefree most of the time, not to mention flamboyant towards people you’re close to.”

“You see, you do know me well! And you say we aren’t close!”

“Well…are we?” you look at him, your face literally raditating doubt. 

“This one went straight through my heart,” he whines, sighing. “You must have noticed the difference in my attitude around other people and around you.”

“Not really. You didn’t exactly like me, you know. I still don’t know what changed your mind. Two months ago or so, your eyes could burn a hole into me.”

“I didn’t trust you because of Kasamatsu-senpai.”

“What?” you gawk at him.

Kise sights, and crosses his arms. “It’s hard to explain… You know Kasamatsu-senpai can’t usually talk to girls, right?”

“Yeeah,” you say, still not sure what he’s trying to say.

“Well, then all of a sudden you show up at practice, and he started treating you like a team member from the start. He spoke so casually to you, I thought you somehow bewitched him. Why do you think I wanted to distract him so you could leave? I didn’t know who you were at the time. But then he suddenly calls out your first name and all … I didn’t know what to make of you. Even Moriyama-senpai and Kobori-senpai seemed to be fond of you. I thought you somehow tricked them into convincing the coach to give you the manager position.”

You frown, still not being able to see what the problems was. “So … you basically disliked me because Yukio talked to me so casually?”

“You have to admit it’s unusual. But no, not because of this. I was having a feeling you were just trying to buy your way into the team, you know. Especially after I found out who your brother is. It just didn’t seem fair to me because it was obvious you were going to get that position. But I couldn’t point out anything bad so I didn’t vote against you. I thought that maybe I have misjudged you, but I had to be sure of it.”

This did make more sense than his previous explanation, although you still feel offended. “I didn’t buy my way into the team.”

“I know. I was only being honest with you. You don’t strike me as a type who would prefer to hear lies over truth.”

“You’re right, I don’t. That’s how you know who’s real and who’s fake.”

He nods in approval. “I want to be honest with you. I won’t pretend I had a good first impression. I mean … no offense, but you’re not even Japanese. I was afraid you won’t be able to understand us and our way of doing things.”

“Gee, thanks. That's good to know,” you roll your eyes at him, trying to hide your annoyance. It’s not like you enjoy being in the centre of attention for belonging to a different race.

“Your race doesn’t bother me. I couldn’t care less, to be honest. Our races don’t define us who we are as people. Our characters don’t have anything to do with the colour of our skin.”

“Good to know,” you say, still slightly annoyed because he so bluntly spoke about a sensitive subject.

“I admit my mistake, I couldn’t be more wrong about you.”

“You don’t have to apologise every time you see me, you know,” you smile a little. “I get it, you’re sorry. I forgave you, didn’t I? It’s in the past. Don’t sweat it, Kise.”

“Haven’t I told you to call me by my first name?”

“Now you’re just pushing it, kiddo.”

“I’m only a year younger than you, you know. I wouldn’t have guessed you’re hung up on this age thing.”

You chuckle. “You turned 16 not so long ago ... and I'm over halfway through to turn eighteen, Kise. But I’m not "hung up on this age thing". I’m just saying. If you want me to call you by your first name, I’ll do it. But aren’t you afraid of what the others are going to say about it? If I understood correctly, calling one another by first name without suffixes implies a very close relationship here.” _Which we don't really have._

“I don’t care what the others think. Please. I insist.”

“Fine, _Ryouta_. I still prefer Kise though.”

His eyes sparkle as his names rolls over your tongue. His lips extend into a wide grin. “You see, (f/n)cchi. It wasn’t that hard, was it?”

“Don’t push it,” you say, trying to look serious, but his honest smile is contagious.

Your train arrives and you two board.

“Japan is pretty expensive,” you comment as you two find your seats.

“You think so? I’ve never really travelled outside of Japan before. Have you travelled much before?”

You nod. “I have. I’ve been to a lot of European countries, in Africa, in the United States, and I’ve been to South Korea.”

His eyes widen, a genuine interest written all over his face. “Now that’s something. Tell me something about your country. Do you miss it?”

“Sometimes. It’s not so bad here. I don’t have time to be that homesick as I could’ve been. You guys keep me more than busy enough. I miss my friends there as well, but we chat often on social media. It’s not the same as if they were here, but it has to do it.”

He asks you many questions about your country, and the places you have visited. You don’t remember when was the last time you were talking so much. He even buys you two a drink on the train, refusing to even hear about you paying him back.

“Don’t be ridiculous. How can I let a girl pay?” He seems genuinely disgusted by the idea.

You have to chuckle because of it. You actually can’t believe how relaxed you are and how quickly the time passes. Kise is very easy to talk to, and he seems interested into what you have to say as well. He asks you about your brother and you share some of the stories, and he, in returns, tells you more about how he started playing basketball, and about his team in Teiko.

 

As you two arrive in Osaka, you’re startled by the crowd.

“It’s not that bad,” Kise smiles. “Come on, we have to hurry up a little.”

He casually grabs your arm under the elbow and gently pulls you.

“You do know where we’re going, right?”  _Because I'm totally lost._

He chuckles. “Of course. I’m not an idiot, you know. Academics might not be on my stronger side, but I’m still smart enough to find my way around.”

“Have you already been there before?”

“Nope, it’s a first. Makes it special for both of us, doesn’t it?” He beams a wide smile towards you, his sunglasses hiding his eyes. You blush and silently follow him into the subway train.

There’s only one free seat and he insists that you take it.

“Once a gentleman, always a gentleman?” you ask him, as you sit down. You really do have to look up now.

“Well, that’s weird. I usually don’t have to look so much down to look into your face,” he teases you. You shake your head, chuckling.

“Shouldn’t we be quiet?” you whisper, as you know it’s not common to talk loudly in Japan, while using the public transport.

“Who cares? We’re young. You worry too much, (f/n)cchi.”

In the middle of the ride, you offer your seat to an old woman who gratefully accepts it.

“That was nice of you,” Kise says as you two are forced to move closer to the doors because of the crowd. Standing so near him actually makes you very nervous and hot. You can smell his cologne and it’s just like him: easy yet confident. You can feel your face getting hot as you clear your throat, trying to hide your embarrassment. At the next top, the sudden break surprises you both and Kise almost tackles you. He catches you with one arm and stops the movement with the other one, pushing against the still closed doors.

“Well, that was close,” you comment, still in a shock. He’s still holding you, his muscular arm around your waist.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly. His voice is a little higher than usual, he almost seems nervous.

You nod. “Yeah. Nice catch by the way. Hope you didn’t strain anything.”

He chuckles, and slowly lets you go. “I’m stronger than you think, obviously.”

“Obviously?” you say, imitating Snape’s voice from the movie. He claps his hand to his mouth to silence the laughter.

“Good one,” he admits. “Didn’t see this one coming, to be honest.”

“I tend to have my moments,” you reply playfully.

“I can tell,” he says. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

You give him you stop-it-right-now look. “Seriously, you’re the same as Yukio. I won’t break over something like this.”

He looks down and his eyes stops on the scars on your knee. “What happened?”

You sigh. “It happened while I was playing (insert your sport, anything besides basketball!). I don’t really know how to say it in Japanese,” you admit, blushing. Then Kise unexpectedly smiles.

“Try me.”

“I dislocated my kneecap. Not for the first time. It was bad. The side, and the cross ligaments, the meniscus, everything was torn. Although the surgery was a success, my body did not react well. I’ll never be able to do sport as actively as I did.”

You check his face, but he shakes his head. “I’m sorry to hear this.”

“Wait, you understood me?” _Holy shit, Kise speaks English?!  
_

He rolls his eyes, chuckling. “I never said I didn’t understand you. I merely pointed out that you and Kasamatsu-senpai tend to talk in English. I let Kasamatsu-senpai believe I suck at English, but I really don’t.”

“There goes my secret weapon.” You fake disappointment.

Kise suddenly ruffles your hair. You instinctively move your head away but he doesn’t seem to mind it. 

_When is he finally going to realize I really don't like it when others touch my hair or pat my head?_

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone, if you don’t.”

You chuckle. “Deal.”

You suddenly fell a hand touching your behind. You look at Kise, confused. He’s looking down at you, too.

_Maybe someone just brushed against me. This place is packed._

But once the touch returns, you look behind. There a man standing behind you, a sly smile resting on his lips.

“Do you mind?” you say as politely as you can. Kise’s eyes immediately turn to the stranger behind you.

“What’s wrong, sugar? It’s your fault for wearing such shorts.”

Kise somehow manages to pull you behind him, looking down at the stranger who’s smaller even than you.

“Touch her one more time and I will break your arm,” Kise hisses with a low voice. “Beat it.”

The stranger’s eyes meet the golden ones that are full of rage and promises of what’s going to happen if he doesn’t do as he’s told.

“Thanks for that. What a jerk,” you mutter as the stranger exits at the next stop.

“You okay?” he asks you, genuinely worried.

“I’m fine. He didn’t do much. I don’t get it. Are those shorts abnormal or something?”

Kise shakes his head. “Not at all. You can show off with your long legs in them.”

“Ryouta!” you scold him, but can’t help but chuckle.

“Just sayin~ Stay close to me, we’re almost there.”

You nod. You don’t mind being this close to him. You remember what your mother had said about him being able to protect you.

_He sure did just a few seconds ago. But I could handle that on my own as well._

 

You’re still digesting the price of the entrance fee for the park. You two are relatively early so it’s not that bad. Kise takes care of the tickets, while you give him the money. There was no way in hell you would let him pay the entry fee for you as well.

“You know, (f/n)cchi. Being a model and all, it doesn’t pay badly.”

“Still, I’m paying for my part. I wouldn’t mind if it was a balloon, or a drink, or a ride, or a hamburger, but definitely not this. It makes me look like I’m using you.”

He shakes his head, letting out a desperate sigh. “You’re really too stubborn for your own good.”

You smile widely, as if he would have given you the compliment. “Thank you very much. I actually take pride in my stubbornness.”

“I give up,” he smiles. “Where do you want to go first?”

“The castle. I hear they have a great program there.”

“The castle it is then.” He casually takes your hand and drags you with him, almost impatiently. You blush to the tips of your ears. He probably doesn’t even know what he’s doing. You stare at his wide back and feel warmness spreading through your body. The weather is nice, you’re with him, and you’re in a Harry Potter theme park. What could go wrong?

 

“Is it always like this?” you ask as you two are eating in one of the restaurants. Kise orders food for you both.

“Like what?” he asks you, taking a sip of his vanilla shake, his eyes fixed on yours. You slightly tilt your head over a group of girls who are openly staring at you two. Mostly at Kise. Their looks tell you that you’re the most undesired human being on the planet for them.

He shrugs a little. “They’re only smitten by my looks.”

“Well, you sure have a big fan base.”

A sly smile appears on his lips as he supports his head with one of his hands, while the other is casually resting on the table. “What, are you jealous?”

“Jealous? You really do like this word a lot, don't you? But don’t be ridiculous,” you dismiss him, taking a sip of your (flavour) shake.

“You don’t have to be jealous. I told you I’m going to steal your heart.”

“Stop being a tease, Ryouta,” you warn him.

“I’m being serious though.”

You just gawk at him. “Didn’t you want to be friends?”

“Of course I want to be friends with you. But I wouldn’t mind stealing your heart somewhere on the way.”

You shake your head at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a hopeless flirt?”

“Not so directly,” he smiles, taking another sip.

“You probably say this to every girl.”

“I may look like a player, but I’m not.”

“You’re still a flirt.”

“Not once I get serious,” he insists stubbornly. 

“Have you ever gotten serious in your life?”

He shakes his head. “Not really. I haven’t met the girl who would make me want to get serious yet. What about you? How many hearts have you broken?”

“None,” you reply simply.

“You’re joking,” he says, surprised. He already knows it but he doesn’t want you to know about it. He’s hoping you’d tell him more about than Kasamatsu.

“I’m not!” you exclaim, offended. “Is it so wrong that I’ve never had a boyfriend before?”

“No one said anything about this being wrong, it’s just surprising.”

You shrug. “I’m the type of the girls that guys prefer to be friends with. I’m a bit of a tomboy, I’m not really into the girly stuff, I like sports, I don’t really like soapy romantic comedies and I prefer action, sci-fi, and fantasy. I’m a perfect friend, but not someone anyone sees as a potential girlfriend. I’m not skinny. I’m not pretty. I don’t stand out with anything. I’ve accepted it. I’m sure one day I’ll meet someone who’s going to be able to see pass my mistakes.”

“For Christ’s sake, (f/n).” His voice is serious and his eyes intense. “How can you even say that about yourself? Beauty has many different forms you know. Just because you don’t fit into the standard type, it doesn’t mean you don’t have any charms on your own.”

“Kise, I’m only being realistic. Let’s speak hypothetically for a second. Someone like you and someone like me, based only on the looks, could never be together. Someone like you can have any girl they want to. I bet even older models give you their phone numbers.”

“Why shouldn’t we be together?” he suddenly asks, almost angry. “Because it’s expected that I date someone hot and cute that fits the standard definition? You really think I’m this shallow?”

Your eyes widen in surprise. “I just gave you an example, Ryouta. I told you we’re speaking hypothetically here. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was only trying to say that it would probably be stressful for the girl, because she’d be exposed to the judgmental society. You really don’t know how mean women can be.”

Something in your voice tells him you don’t mean anything bad, but that you’re speaking from your personal experiences.

“What happened?” he asks, as you shift uncomfortably.

“Nothing much. I liked a guy before. He was out of my reach. We were good friends actually. I never intended to confess to him, but … one of those “pretty” girls who was stuck on him and was jealous of our friendship, somehow found out about my feelings. The next day, the whole school knew. During the school’s gathering, she basically publicly announced this is what happens when you like someone who is out of your league. I was constantly bullied afterwards. It was around the time Yukio was staying with us. He was the one who protected me, making me pull through those hard times, and finally stand up for myself.”

“What about the guy you liked?”

“I realized it was just a simple crush. He wasn’t the person who I thought he was. He didn’t do anything to stop them … in the end, he even joined them. So forgive me if I came out a bit harsh before, I didn’t mean to say you’re shallow.”

“I would never allow them to bully my girlfriend.”

“It wouldn’t be up to you, Ryouta. What could you do? Tell them to stop? It only gets worse in most cases. That guy … he did tell them to stop at the beginning, but it was not only completely ignored, but he was getting teased that he might have feelings for me as well. He naturally thought me below him, in terms of looks. Not someone with whose name he’d want to have his name connected in a romantic sense.”

“How can that guy even calls himself a man?”

You smile a little. “That’s exactly what Yukio asked him. Yukio was respected around the school, you know. He was known as clumsy around girls, but a gentleman nevertheless.”

“Did he punch him? I don’t like fighting, but I’m getting this intense need to punch that guy in the face for being a weakling and a jackass.”

“He tried to, but I stopped him. He wasn’t worthy. My feelings for him were long gone by then. I only feel sorry for him now. I hold no grudges; I decided to let it go. You may now understand why Yukio is so important to me.”

“I understand. You two formed a close bond back then.”

You nod. “That’s why I went back yesterday. It was similar to when I went through that bullying. And short after it, I got injured. Yukio has been there for me through good and through worse. You don’t let such a friend slip through your fingers.”

“No, you really don’t. He seems to hold you dear as well.” He leaned a bit more towards you. “Do you like Kasamatsu-senpai?”

“He’s like a brother to me,” you say simply. “He’s my best friend. Someone I can talk to about anything. Someone I know that is going to be there for me even if things get bumpy. He’s precious to me.”

Something passes his eyes, but you can’t identify the emotion.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you this: how come no one of your other friends protected you? I would imagine you were one of the popular girls.”

You chuckle a little. “I didn’t exactly go around telling people my brother is a successful NBA player. My brother and my family overall value our privacy a lot. People might know he has a sister but few know that sister is me. I don’t want to use my brother’s name to get a special treatment or to get respect. As for my friends – those girls knew how to plan their attacks, I’ll give them that. I was mostly alone when they happened. And they didn’t care who they bully – so most of my “friends” left me. Only few remained.”

You smile at his sad face. “You don’t’ have to feel bad for me, Ryouta. I didn’t tell you those things to get your pity. I’ve told them to you so you could understand me and my actions better.”

“I still have this feeling you haven’t told me everything,” he says, smiling.

“It’s all what you’re going to get for now,” you reply with a smile, letting him know that he should drop the topic. “Now, enough about me. The atmosphere has gotten so gloomy and serious you might get depressive. Then I wouldn’t hear the end of it at practice. It’s supposed to be our day off, to have fun and all. It’s time for you to be grilled a little.”

Kise chuckles and leans back. “Bring it on.”

You two eat lunch in a happy and easy atmosphere. Kise is making you laugh with some of the stories from his modelling experiences, and from the first practices with Kasamatsu.

“I’m glad you didn’t order a salad,” he comments after you two leave the restaurant and decide to go to check the wand shop.

“Sorry to break it to you, but I’m not a big fan of veggie. I think you can tell.”

He smiles at you. “How can you not like veggie?”

“I’m not a rabbit! Why would I like rabbit’s food?”

He bursts into laughter, stopping in the middle of the street. “Rabbit’s food?”

“Well, yeah. That’s how I call it,” you laugh with him. “Well, I do eat salad, tomatoes, peppers, and some other things. But I prefer meat. Food is my love.”

“This I can understand. I don’t understand girls who refuse to eat.”

“I know right? I can’t understand that either! Oh, I’m paying for the souvenirs by the way. I can’t believe you paid the bill without telling me about it.”

“A guy has use all the possible resources if the girl is stubborn,” he teases you.

You smirk. “Thanks, by the way. You didn’t have to.”

“Not a problem, it was my pleasure. You see, it’s not that difficult, is it?”

“Don’t get used to it though. I told you I don’t want you to spend your money on me.”

He rolls his eyes at you. “You’re hopeless.”

“So I’ve been told at last thrice today,” you tease him back.

He smirks. “You really won’t let me have the last word, will you?”

“Hey, if you’re friends with me, this is what you get. My sass and class come in a package.”

“You’re really something else,” he laughs again.

“Let’s go before all the wands are sold out. I’ve always wanted to have Harry’s wand.”

“So I lose against the wand?”

“No. You lose against the food and the wand.”

You suddenly run pass him, throwing him a big smile. He’s just standing there, watching you run towards the shop. You really do have nice legs. It’s obvious you did sport and that you’re still not only sitting around from your muscles. You’re not Kise’s type, but there’s something about you that draws him to you like a magnet force he can’t resist. He smiles and sprints after you, catching you just before the shop.

“I still win,” you say, trying to catch your breath. His breathing is completely normal. You envy him his athleticism.

“Well that was fair-played,” he says sarcastically.

“As if the race would be fair in any case,” you reply, making him smile.

“Well, ladies first. Let’s go find that dream wand of yours, shall we?”

You two enter the shop and it’s like you’ve walked into a paradise once you see the wands haven’t been sold out yet.

“Uhm, Ryouta?”

“Hmm?” he asks, while he is looking at one wand as well.

“I-I’m sorry to keep bothering you with this, but I get nervous when I have to order something … in Japanese … would you mind-“

Before you finish the sentence, Kise is already standing at the counter, telling the cashier what you’d like to have. You pay and press the box to your chest.

“I’m sorry about that. Thanks,” you say, as you two are walking around, stopping here and there.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t have to thank me for every little thing, you know,” he dismisses your words. “Besides, your Japanese is not bad at all. I’m actually surprised. In a good way. You don’t have to be nervous.”

You shrug. “I don’t know. I’m still not that confident as I thought. It’ll pass. You’ll see. Next time, I’ll take care of my orders.”

You two both realize what you have just said. You blush.

 _Did I really just say “next time”? Oh God … oh well, what’s done is done._ You’re friends, right? Friends hang out with each other. Kise seems satisfied as well. His face is almost glowing all the way back home. You bought him a Harry Potter keychain as a sign of appreciation for the day.

“You didn’t have to, you know,” he says on the train back to Tokyo, while he’s examining it.

“You see? That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you this whole day,” you tease him. He shakes his head in desperation, but smiles nevertheless.

“Thanks though. I’ll treasure it.”

You blush a little. “No need to go this far. It’s just a keychain.”

“But it’s a keychain you gave to me. It’s not just an ordinary keychain.”

“Don’t build it an altar. It goes under the definition of ‘creepy’,” you tease him.

He bursts into laughter. “You really say the most unexpected things.”

“Well, back at ya’, buddy,” you say in English.

“You haven’t bought anything for Kasamatsu?”

“Oh, I did. He’s not really a Harry Potter fan, but I’m sure he won’t mind the Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate frogs.”

“Oh yeah, who doesn’t want to get an earwax-flavoured bean, huh?”

“Bad experience?” you tease him.

“Yeah … I’ve never been lucky when it comes to this.”

You smile. “I once got two grass and two earwax beans… in a row. So don’t complain.”

“And you still eat them?”

“Why not? It’s fun,” you reply. “Wanna have a round?”

His eyes narrow a little and there’s a spark in them. “I never back away from the challenge. Bring it on.”

His eyes widen then. “Oh my god, the pictures!”

“Pictures?” you ask confused.

“Yeah, the pictures we took in that machine! You know! The goofy ones and all!” He searches through his bag, slightly panic.

“Oh, you mean when you made me make a double chin after I lost rock-paper-scissors and you had to show the whiteness of your eyes when you lost the next round? And when you made me wear those cat ears?”

You carefully pull them out your purse. “I took them. I was the last one to get out of that machine so I have them.”

He suddenly grabs your wrists, letting out a relieved breath. “Thank god, I thought I lost them. I was really starting to panic.”

“Ryouta, it’s just pictures,” you say, still surprised by the fact he’s holding your wrists.

“It’s not just pictures!” he exclaims, taking them from you. “Where do you think could I get such a picture of you?” he continues, showing you the picture where you were forced to do a double chin.

"I swear I will drown you in a tea spoon of water if you ever show this to anyone,” you threaten him.

“Well, it’s not like you don’t have your weapon,” he says, looking at the picture of himself.

“You’re right. It’s a blackmailing tool, in case you ever get strange ideas.”

“But this one,” he says, looking at the last one, “is really cute.”

You smirk. “If you say so.”

Kise returns the copies of your photos to you, and you carefully put them away.

“Besides, I still have those.” He shows you the selfies you two took on the phone. You usually aren’t keen on taking selfies, but Kise’s enthusiasm and constant bugging eventually made you agree to take some selfies with him.

“You better send those to me,” you say.

“Why?” he asks, teasing you.

“Well, it’s unfair only you get to keep those memories, don’t you think?”

He laughs. “You say the cutest things out of the blue.” He puts the phone away and smiles. “But I already did send them to you. You probably didn’t check your phone.”

“I don’t like checking my phone when I’m with someone. It’s rude. I guess I should thank you for doing the same.”

He dismisses your thanks with a wave of his hand. “I told you not to thank me over such little things. It’s nothing. I had fun.”

You smile slyly. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to distract me because you don’t really want to eat the beans.”

His eyes get the competitive glow again. “I’ve told you, haven’t I? I never run from a challenge. Open up that bag, and let’s start!”


	7. Surprise

You can’t stop laughing when you see Kise at practice the next day. Kasamatsu and Moriyama both look surprised. Kise drops his bag down next to you, making a puppy face at you.

“Don’t be mean. I was really sick from those beans. Every bad one I got was earwax-flavored.”

“I got the barf-flavored one, so don’t you dare start complaing,” you say while laughing.

“Uhm … am I missing something here?” asks Moriyama.

“Those two went to Harry Potter park yesterday,” explained Kasamatsu shortly, not leaving you two out of sight.

“WHAT?! ARE YOU TWO –“

Kasamatsu puts the hand over Moriyama’s mouth, while you’re startled by his loud voice.

“You don’t have to scream, you idiot!” yells Kasamatsu at Moriyama, so you give Kasamatsu your you-should-do-the-same look.

Moriyama nods, signaling he got the message and asks in a quieter tone.

“Are you two going out?”

You shake your head.

“No, we just hung out a bit. Isn’t this what friends do?”

“Funny, I didn’t know you two were that close,” says Moriyama, looking thoughtful.

“Well, it doesn’t hurt if we get along. It’s good for the team as well,” you reply, shrugging.  

Kise presses his lips tightly together but doesn’t say anything. Moriyama and Kasamatsu don’t see this as they are both paying attention to you.

“So our (f/n)-chan is still available?”

“Senpai,” you say with a warning in your voice.

“She only calls you senpai when she’s annoyed,” teases him Kasamatsu.

“Kasamatsu, I call you by your last name when I’m annoyed as well.”

Moriyama bursts into laughter. “You were asking for this, captain.”

You notice Kise has attached the keychain you got for him to his bag.

“I see you already made some use of it,” you whisper so only he can hear you. Moriyama and Kasamatsu are too busy with their friendly arguing.

He smiles.

“Told you I would treasure it.”

Moriyama’s sharp eyes also notice it, when he finally takes a closer look at Kise’s bag.

“Did you buy that yesterday?”

“(f/n)cchi gave it to me. Isn’t it cute?”

“Moriyama-senpai, I thought your eyes were  sharp only when it comes to girls,” you tease him, making all around you laugh. You roll your eyes at Kise, letting him know what you think about his enthusiasm but can’t help but smile. At that moment, your phone starts ringing.

“Excuse me, I really need to take this.”

You rush out of the gym, leaving the stunned boys behind.

“What was this all about?” asks Moriyama, confused.

“No idea,” say Kasamatsu and Kise at the same time.

“Gather around, boys!”

Takeuchi’s voice takes their thoughts off you.

“I hope you used your day off well. There won’t be many of them from now on. Other teams are also already practicing and we can’t afford to be left behind!”

“Hai, sir!”

“I hope you can take some positive things out from the Touou game, and work on improving yourselves. You gave your best, and you shouldn’t have any regrets. Use this bitter feeling. Remember it. And promise to yourself never to experience it again! But if you make such a big promise, you also have to work hard to keep it!”

Takeuchi walks down the line, all the players looking dead serious.

“In thirteen days, we’re leaving for the summer camp.”

At that moment, you come back into the gym. You’re pressing your phone tightly against your chest while running directly to Takeuchi. You deliberately ignore the surprise your unusual entrance causes. You bend down a little and whisper something into coach’s ear. His eyes get wide with surprise as you give him thumbs up with a wide smile.

“I’m getting an ominous feeling about this,” says Kasamatsu.

“Why?” Kise whispers, not knowing what to make of the whole situation as well.

“Why would the coach suddenly look like he’d gotten his Christmas present early, while he was talking about the summer camp? They’re planning to kill us.”

All the boys gulp, as you turn to them, your face glowing with happiness.

“As I was saying, we’re leaving for summer camp in thirteen days. (f/n)-chan’s mother is going to stop by in the last week before our departure, to check your condition. We’re going to discuss the details later. You can be sure you’re going to practice harder than you have ever practiced in your life so I want you to be not only physically but also mentally prepared for this. From what (f/n)-chan just told me, you’re going to have a training camp of your lives. So don’t lose your focus. Picture yourself where you want to be, as individuals as well as part of this team! We will focus on the inside today. Make sure to warm up well!”

“We’re doomed,” mutters Kasamatsu under his breath, and Moriyama gives him a look of slight panic.

“How bad is it going to be?”

Kasamatsu looks at you, as you are feverishly discussing something with Takeuchi. You two are examining the paper you’re holding in front of you, and you’re pointing at something with your pencil, while Takeuchi is obviously making comments.

“Based on her expression and Takeuchi’s face . . . I’d say we won’t feel our legs for days.”

Moriyama gulps at his words.

“The practice hasn’t even started and the sweat is already dripping from me.”

“Come on…we have this practice to survive first.” Even Kasamatsu knows his words lack excitement, as they head to their places.

During the first break, you receive another phone call and disappear from the gym again.

“Oh crap, not again,” mutters Moriyama.

“Senpai, what’s going on?” asks Kise, taking a long sip. Sweat is dripping from their bodies. It’s also hot outside.

“Huh? Don’t ask me. How am I supposed to know? She doesn’t tell me everything as well. Did she mention something yesterday?”

Kise shakes his head.

“Not a word. She hasn’t even checked her phone during the whole time we were together. Except to let her parents know that we arrived safely and stuff like this.”

“You didn’t try anything weird, did you?” Kasamatsu looks at Kise suspiciously.

“Senpai, I’m not that kind of guy. It wasn’t even a date.” Kise smiles, embarrassed.

“Than what was it?” pushes Kasamatsu further.

“A friendly outing?” suggests Kise, shrugging. “Really, senpai. Ask (f/n)cchi if you don’t believe me!”

At that moment you return to the gym, your face covered with an ear-to-ear grin. You seem really excited, as you rush to the coach, telling him something.

“REALLY?!”

Everyone looks at you two in surprise. Kasamatsu almost drops his water bottle.

“Get into pairs. Ten times twenty meters of sprints. I’ll be right with you. Centres and power forwards, after you’re done, get on the other side. You have a special training waiting for you.” Takeuchi quickly gets rid of the boys, trying to make them forget about his outburst.

No one dares to object, much less ask anything.

“You’ve done really well, (f/n)-chan. We’re indebted to you.”

You shake your head.

“No problem. I’m happy it turned out well.”

“Then I shall leave all the arrangements to you. You should get all the needed information next week, and I’ll call the inn to prepare additional rooms. Oh, the CD of the Touou game is already waiting for you. I put it in your locker as soon as I got it. I’m expecting the full report by the end of this week.”

“Yes, Sir! I’ll do my best, Sir!”

You’re about to leave when his voice stops you.

“I’m sorry to bother you so much, (f/n)-chan … but the other problem?”

“I’m working on it, Sir. We’ll manage somehow,” you smile tiredly. You’re barely standing on your legs. The last weeks have been stressful for you, and you know the next four weeks won’t be a vacation either. You sigh, shaking your head at your pessimism.

_I can do it. I have to do it. This is what I signed up for. If I can’t do it, I should just quit._

One look at the boys, practicing their bottoms off gives you strength. Their faces too, are twisted from pain and exhaustion but nobody complains. No one quits. They do more than it’s asked of them. If they can do it, you can do it as well.

 

“Hey, (f/n), why won’t you tell me what this is all about?” nags Kasamatsu during the last break. You click your tongue with dissatisfaction at his pushiness.

“Because it’s a surprise. You’ll see in thirteen days. I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed. At the end of your training camp,” you say, pointing your finger at him, “you will thank me and hope I’ll continue being your manager for the rest of your high school careers, and even further maybe.”

You laugh at their shocked expressions when they don’t know what to make of your statement.

“As if I would ever expect something like this. But I was serious about one thing though. You won’t be disappointed and you really won’t regret it, no matter how hard it’s going to be. If you manage to pull through that camp, you’ll survive anything. I can promise you that you’re going to improve. I can’t promise how much, but improvement _will_ be there.”

“Sounds good to me.” Kasamatsu smiles at you, and Kise joins him as well. Moriyama shrugs.

“What does not feeling your legs for days even mean? It’s not a biggie. I only hope there will be some girls there. It would motivate me even more.”

“Senpai.”

Everyone laughs at the tone of your voice.

“Well, there’s a festival in the town where we’re staying. If you promise not to mess around too much and practice hard … I might consider talking coach into-“

“(f/n)-chaaaan! You’re my hero!” Moriyama suddenly exclaims and hugs you.

“Moriyama-kun, get off me! You’re all sweaty!”

You gently push him away, trying to be angry but fail miserably. Everyone laughs.

“This is one girl you can’t get,” teases him Kasamatsu.

“Yukio, don’t push it. I could tell a thing or two about a certain topic as well.”

Kasamatsu immediately stops laughing and they all watch you walking away to replace the towels.

“She has us all under control,” sighs Moriyama.

“Tell me about it,” mutters Kasamatsu. “She’s probably the only one in the whole school that can manage to keep us in check.”

 

“Is everyone here?” asks Takeuchi as he counts the boys once again.

“Coach, where’s (f/n)-chan? It’s unusual for her to be late.”

Kasamatsu shrugs next to Moriyama who asked the question.

“She didn’t send me a message. Kise?”

Kise shakes his head. “You don’t think anything happened to her, right?”

“No need to worry, (f/n)-chan is meeting us there. She has some things she has to take care of. Now, board the bus. We can’t be late!”

“Since when is the coach so strict about time? He’s terrified if you even hint at the possibility of us being to the first practice,” Moriyama comments as they get into the bus.

“Don’t know. Maybe we left five hours sooner because of that?” suggests Kobori next to Hayakawa.

“I (can’t) wai(t) fo(r) the rebou(nd) practi(ce)!”

Moriyama sighs.

“Seriously, Hayakawa-kun. Is rebound all you ever think about? You’re probably the only person that likes rebounds so much.”

“But senpai, what does (f/n)cchi has to do? She didn’t say anything.”

Kise asks from the seat next to Kasamatsu.

“I don’t know. She didn’t say anything to me either. I’m sure she has her reasons.”

Kise’s phone vibrates.

“She’s alright. She just texted me,” says Kise, his face lighting up.

“Huh? Why would she text you?” Kasamatsu asks, annoyed.

“Well, I texted her first. I was worried about her,” he whines.

“When did you even manage to do this?” asks Moriyama, with a hint of desperation in his voice.

“She said she’ll meet us there and … we can’t be late?”

He looks up from the phone, looking puzzled.  

“Seriously, what has gotten into her? And the coach. They’re both acting weird,” says Moriyama, leaning back on his sit.

“Her mother also didn’t say anything to anyone, did she?” asks Kasamatsu.

Everyone shakes their heads in a negative answer.

“At least we’re all ready to go. She’s really good, (f/n)-chan’s mother is,” says Kobori.

“Kise, did she say anything particular to you? You were inside for the longest.”

Kise shakes his head, shrugging.

“She just likes chatting with me I guess.”

Kasamatsu only rolls his eyes at Kise, shaking his head.

“I seriously don’t know what to do with him.”

“Aw, is our captain jealous?” Moriyama teases him.

“HUH? Are you an idiot? Is this the team of idiots? Is one not enough?”

“I was only joking, keep your hair on, Kasamatsu,” laughs Moriyama, raising his hands in defense.

“Get some sleep instead. It’s going to be a long day,” says Kasamatsu, poorly hiding his annoyance.

 

“Unpack your things, our first practice is in two hours. We’re leaving about half an hour before the practice starts. The gym is already prepared for us,” says Takeuchi as the bus stops in front of the average looking inn.

“At least there’s onsen,” says Moriyama, picking up his bag.

“Come on, let’s go,” says Kasamatsu and follows the coach in the inn.

“(f/n)-chan is still not here.” Moriyama sits on the floor, between Kobori and Kasamatsu.

“She’s been quite absent from the practices as well. The coach said we shouldn’t worry about it, though. Are they up to something? Because it isn’t like (f/n)-chan to slack off.”

Kasamatsu looks up from his bag, looking thoughtful.

“I don’t know. She hasn’t said anything to me… but I noticed she’s been coming back to the practices with a bunch of papers. Her file keeps growing and growing. I wonder…”

“And her hands,” adds Kise, leaning on his knee with his chin.

“What do you mean her hands?” asks Kasamatsu, raising his eyebrows.

“Haven’t you noticed? I noticed when she passed me the water the other day. There were small … well, burn signs, you know – you get them when you touch a frying pan or something.”

“Has (f/n)-chan been into cooking lately?” asks Moriyama, looking at Kasamatsu.

“Not to my knowledge. She hates cooking although she’s not a bad cook.”

“I’m envious, Kasamatsu! You’re the only one who’s tried her cooking! Didn’t she also use to make your bentou?”

“That was only temporarily and you don’t have to know why,” scowls Kasamatsu at Moriyama.

“If the coach isn’t worried, then we shouldn’t be as well. I’m sure (f/n)-chan is doing everything for a good reason. She’s not the type who would skip practice without a very good reason, don’t you agree?” says Kobori, and all the boys nod.

“Speaking of cooking … how are we going to solve the problem?” he adds and all the boys look at each other.

“I’m pretty much useless behind the oven. I could burn rice in a cooker,” admits Moriyama.

“I’m (some)where at (this) leve(l),” adds Hayakawa.

“I know how to prepare something, but it’s nothing special. And I don’t know if I could do it for everyone,” says Kasamatsu.

“Same here,” says Kise as well. The feeling of gloom falls upon the room.

“We’ll think about it once we get there. We first have to survive the first practice. Lunch is going to follow after it,” Kasamatsu tries to encourage them.

“Yeah … I mean, if we don’t survive the practice, who cares about lunch anyways. And even if we do survive, we’ll probably be way too tired to think about what we’re eating. We’ll only be thinking of the tatami mattresses.” Moriyama also tries to sound optimistic. His words somehow manage to ease the atmosphere.

“I really wonder what the coach prepared for us. He seemed really pleased with himself, and (f/n)cchi also looked really happy.”

Kise is playing with his piercing as he says the words.

“I’d say that’s the receipt for the lethal combination. The more excited (f/n) gets, the harder is the practice going to get. Not that she’s sadistic. She’s happy because she knows it’s going to bring that much of an improvement. She can’t really do sport like we can, so she’s trying her best for those who can do what she can’t.”

“She told me she had a serious knee injury,” says Kise, hoping he was finally going to find out some more. You only gave him brief information, not really going into the details.

“Several, actually. She’s had two surgeries. And after the second one, they told her that she’s never going to be able to do sport as she used to. She had to quit. I was there when the second time happened.”

Kasamatsu clenches his fists, at the sheer memory.

“Was she good?” asks Moriyama.

“She was a naturally talented player. Believe it or not, but (f/n) is actually quite lazy.”

They all gap at Kasamatsu in disbelief.

“I didn’t know you have such sense of humor, captain,” says Moriyama, being first of the bunch to digest Kasamatsu’s words. Kasamatsu scowls at him but continues nevertheless: “She hates running. But she always did her best, she never slacked off. Her talent allowed her to goof around at practices more than most of the players could afford. It’s not really my story to tell, you’re going to have to ask her for more details. But … although she seems fine now, I don’t think she’s gotten over it. Knowing her, I think she never will truly get over it.”

“Why is that?” asks Kise, his eyes narrowing.

Kasamatsu sighs.

“You’re all being so nosy about it. Because I was there when it happened, Kise. I was the one at her side before her parents arrived at the hospital. She was so scared. She then told me she never intended to do sports forever … but that she wanted to have a choice and quit on her own will, not because the injury would force her to quit. She wasn’t ready to let go. That’s why, Kise.”

“Which sport did she do?” asks Moriyama.

“(y/s),” answers Kasamatsu.

They hear the sound of the slide doors opening and one of the players looks into the room 

“Excuse me, but the coach said we should start preparing. We’re leaving in fifteen minutes.”

“We better get ready. Let’s see what they prepared for us.”

“I’m actually excited about it. Especially if it’s going to make us stronger. It’s our last chance,” says Kobori, letting the words sink in.

Kise looks at the third years, all of them looking grim but determined.

_Then I should probably do my best as well._

“Line up!”

“The gym is actually very nice,” comments Moriyama next to Kasamatsu who nods in agreement.

“It exceeded my expectations.”

“We’re going to have four practices a day. A morning run, two gym practices and an hour of fitness per day. You’re not only going to build some muscles but also put them to some use. The practice is designed in a way to build up your stamina and improve your techniques. We’re going to polish fundamentals and slowly build a palace on them.”

A sound of a parking car is heard outside and your voice reaches the ears of the boys. You’re laughing. The coach also smiles.

“I say our help has just arrived.”

“Help?”

Whisper erupts amongst the boys.

“As I’ve already told you, this is going to be a training camp you’re never going to forget. With the help of (f/n)-chan we managed to secure a valuable help.”

You come into the gym, smiling widely.

“Hello boys,” you greet them. They can see the shadows behind you but they can’t see who did you bring with you.

“I’m sorry we’re late, coach. I had to take care of some arrangements at the inn.”

“Let’s go,” you say in English then as you look behind. Behind you, three huge men come in. The jaws of the boys drop to the floor. They all freeze as they observe you and the tree man coming near them.

“Ah, Yukio! Long time no see, man!”

Your brother raises his hand in greetings, smiling widely at utterly shocked Kasamatsu. Forgetting everything, he comes halfway to your brother and they exchange a firm handshake.

“I should’ve known she was going to pull something like this,” he mutters.

Your brother smiles widely at him and pats him on the back.

“You know (f/n). I couldn’t say no to her. She sure knows how to pull ‘I’m-your-little-sister’ act.”

“Gentleman, allow me to introduce our special guests, who were kind enough to agree to spend some time with us and oversee your practice. This is my brother, (l/n) (b/n). And those two gentlemen hardly need any introduction as well, I believe. This is (p/ln) (p/fn) and this (p/ln) (p/fn). Both are NBA players and ex-teammates of my brother. They are staying in Japan for a tour but agreed to stay with us for three days. My brother is going to stay with us until the end of the camp.”

The guests smile widely at the shocked boys who all bow deeply to them. Even coach Takeuchi looks a little bit intimidated as he greets them, thanking them for coming. You help him out – you notice his English has gotten worse because of his nervousness. Then it’s the boys’ turn to greet the guests. They exchange handshakes, stuttering “Nice to meet you” and you can swear none of them is going to want to wash their hands before lunch.

“Ryouta Kise.”

You see Kise and your brother exchanging a handshake. Somehow, the gesture makes you feel nervous.

“Oh, so you’re the guy (f/n)’s been telling me about. She asked me to pay special attention to you. I played your position, so it’s only logical. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you’ve got if you got my little sister to talk so highly about you.”

“(b/n),” you scold him, embarrassed.

“I’ll be in your care, Sir.”

“Oi, (f/n). Since when does Kise speak English?” Kasamatsu appears out of nowhere.

“Don’t ask me,” you sigh and then look at him. “So? What do you say? Is it going to be memorable or not?”

Kasamatsu shakes his head in disbelief, patting your head.

“You really overdid it this time. Who wouldn’t want to have a practice time with three NBA all-star members, huh?”

He smiles at your happy face. You look proud of yourself.

“I originally only asked my brother but then he said he was going to ring two other players. They both said yes without hesitation. They said they wanted to see basketball in Japan. They’re only staying for three days though, they have others matters to attend then. We’re going to watch the Touou’s game tonight. I refused to show it to them before they oversaw your practice. I think they’re up for a surprise.”

You look at coach signaling you to come there.

“Gotta go now. Catch up with you later, Yukio. Do your best, my brother is going to keep an eye on you too.”

You pat his shoulder and then rush over to the coach who says something in your ear. You nod, turning to the guests and translate the message. They nod in agreement.

“Uhm, coach? They asked if they can warm up with the players?”

Takeuchi happily agrees and you give them thumbs up. Your brother chuckles and ruffles your hair.

“I’m proud of you, kiddo. I was worried about you but I see you have no problems getting by. Even your Japanese has drastically improved.”

“Yeah, yeah. When are you planning to tell the coach you actually _can_ speak Japanese?”

Your brother shrugs, smiling wickedly at you.

“Once I decide you’ve had your own share of translating done.”

“Just go, you baka-nii-chan,” you say while rolling your eyes at him. Your special guests mix in between the players, your brother running between Kise and Kasamatsu.

“I’d say we’ve got them well.”

You smile at coach Takeuchi who is extremely pleased with himself.

“Indeed we have. I don’t think Yukio, I mean Kasamatsu, is ever going to forgive me for not telling him. Moriyama-kun’s face was priceless though. Kise looked surprised as well.”

“Kise is going to be one of the big names one day. I’d be surprised if not all the Generation of Miracles make it to the NBA.”

You nod.

“I haven’t seen them all … but judging from Aomine and Kise’s performance I’d say the others don’t fall behind.”

“You will see them at the Winter Cup. Winter Cup is going to be the stage for an all-out war between the members of Generation of Miracles. It’s expected the teams which managed to secure a member of Kiseki no Sedai are going to take top places. Not to mention we have another unpredictable opponent.”

“Seirin,” you say.

“Seirin,” nods Takeuchi, “is a formidable opponent. Their bench is not so strong and their defense is full of holes. But they practice the run-and-gun style, and their first five players are top class, especially their first-year duo. Seirin is probably the number one team in the country when it comes to teamwork. They are also a team that keeps evolving. It’s scary if you look at the fact it’s only a team of first and second years.”

“Let’s first see if they make it to the national stage. We’ll worry about Seirin once we get there. We should be focusing on our improvement and us. If Seirin crosses our path, we’re going to be prepared for them.”  


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> Thank you so much for taking your time and decide to give this fanfiction a go! I really am grateful for it! ^-^  
> If you have anything to say, a suggestion etc., don't be afraid to say it in the comment! I do read them but I've been busy with the university and currently don't have much time to spare.   
> Hope you enjoy this update! It's rather short but I promise the next one will be much longer! ^^

“Lunch’s ready, so you can start eating,” you say as you arrive at the inn. The boys are so exhausted you feel bad for them. Yet, as soon as you mention food, stars appear in their eyes. 

“What? How is this possible?” asks Moriyama, confused. “I thought we were supposed to be cooking for ourselves. I’m sure as hell no one of us prepared anything.”

“That’s why I took some precautions. Today’s lunch and dinner are taken care of. So don’t worry. You’ll be in my hands from now on as well.”

You smile at them, while Kasamatsu looks at you suspiciously.

“But you –“

“I know I hate cooking, but what other choice do I have, huh? Just look at you! You're all barely moving around!" 

You pout and look Kasamatsu straight into the eyes. 

"I took some cooking and massage classes, so don't act so suspicious. It's rather insulting. My mother gave me a massage table and a bunch of other gels, lotions, and I don’t know what else. Who’d look after you if it weren’t for me, huh?”

You put your hands on your hips, giving them your you-are-hopeless look.

“Go eat now, until the food’s still warm and there’s something left to eat.”

“This is absurd,” says Moriyama, as he sits down at the table with Kasamatsu, Kise, Kobori, and Hayakawa. “She was joking, right?”

Kasamatsu looks at you as you serve one of the players with a smile.

“I don’t she was, Moriyama. I saw (b/n) carrying that massage table before. She was trying to do it alone, but he luckily wouldn’t take no for an answer. This girl ... she never fails to surprise me.”

“But … is she planning to get any sleep at all?” Moriyama is still completely bewildered. Kise tightens his grip on the chopsticks.

“I don’t think she’s been getting much sleep anyway. Haven’t you noticed those dark circles under her eyes?”

“We owe her big time. She did all this, and even asked her brother and other famous players to help us practice … We can’t let her shoulder all the burden,” says Kobori, looking thoughtful. “This food is actually very good. She’s not a bad cook at all.”

“She’s not bad at cooking, she just dislikes it,” sighs Kasamatsu. “No wonder she looked so tired. We can't just stand by and watch, or we can't call ourselves men. We can’t let her know we’re trying to help her though, otherwise, she’ll be after our heads, saying we should focus on basketball only, and stop worrying about her. She’s the type that puts others first.”

He watches you as you finally sit down, laughing at something your brother said. You playfully punch your brother into the shoulder, shaking your head at him, explaining something to the guests. They are smiling and nodding in unison.

“We’re going to take turns in doing the dishes. And we'll be doing our own laundry. No way she’s doing this as well.”

Kise nods.

“I’ll volunteer for this round for the dishes.”

“So will I,” say Kasamatsu and Moriyama at the same time.

“We’ll take the dinner’s shift,” says Kobori and Hayakawa nods enthusiastically.

"And if she ever comes to any of us and as much as hints she needs help ... I don't care about how sore your muscles are or how heavy your legs feel, we will help her without a question. She doesn't have to ask directly. You have a thing called 'common sense', don't you? And don't take no for an answer," says Kasamatsu. They all nod again. 

"I'll also tell this to the other players at the team meeting later. God help them if they won't do as they're told," adds Kasamatsu, looking around the cafeteria. It looks like all players are enjoying the food you prepared and you feel 

After the chattering calms down and almost everyone is finished, Takeuchi stands up.

“I believe I can easily say the first practice was a huge success. Don’t forget your focus and show our guests Japan is not to be taken lightly when it comes to basketball! Also, for all of those who are in need of massages, see (f/n)-chan. I suggest you make a schedule so she won’t have a hard time timing your visits. You may enter onsen at any time you wish as well. Our next practice is in four hours so make sure you get some rest. As for the dishes –“

“We will take shifts. Group of three will take care of one shift and we will circle.” Kasamatsu stands up, looking around, his eyes challenging someone to complain. Kise also looks around with a cold expression. There are some who want to object but their neighbours quickly silence them, noticing Kasamatsu is not to be messed with. 

"Also about the massages. I don't want to swear more than five players lining up for it after the practice." 

“Excellent, I was just about to suggest that. Don’t forget to thank (f/n)-chan for this delicious meal. Sports shakes, proteins, bars, and others snacks will be available after lunch. Don’t eat too much though. You’re dismissed.”

You look at Kasamatsu, not looking pleased.

“That’s odd, you volunteering to do the dishes.”

You lean your head to the side. "And what's with the limit of how many people can use the opportunity to get a massage after a tough practice, huh?" 

“Give him a break, (f/n). What’s wrong if the boys want to help around? You need some rest as well, so I don't see where's the problem. He's right - when were you planning to do the massages, cooking and your other manager duties, huh?” says (b/n), shaking his head at you. “Don’t mind her, Yukio. She needs to realize she can’t do everything on her own.”

Kasamatsu smiles, nodding.

“I wasn’t even planning to. You know she can't-fool me no matter how hard she tries. I know her too well.”

“I’m sitting right over here, you know,” you sulk, rolling your eyes at them. You really don't appreciate the fact they are treating you like a child. 

“Then we’re going to take care of the dishes,” says Kasamatsu, deliberately ignoring your annoyance. You notice Kise also stood up and is now standing next to Kasamatsu. He already has his gloves on and is holding a pair for Kasamatsu as well. 

“You too, Ryouta?”

You don’t realize you just called him by his first name in front of everyone. Only when Moriyama’s eyes almost pop out do you realize what you have done.

“I mean Ki-“ you blush, but he smiles widely. He suddenly beams with happiness. It's not the expression of someone who is about to wash a pile of dirty plates. 

“Yeah, me too. Why are you so surprised? I can handle a few plates, you know.”

“I’m more worried about the plate’s safety than you,” you mutter, making everyone around you chuckle.

“Hey, Yukio, why don’t you come and see the Touou’s game with us? I’m interested in your comments. Kise, you can come as well, if you wish.”

Your brother just so casually invites them you just gawk at him. 

“Glad to,” both reply.

“Aren’t you supposed to see the video after dinner?” asks Kasamatsu.

“They insisted I show it to them after lunch,” you say, shrugging. “I was overvoted. Seems like this has been happening rather often lately.”  You throw them a displeased look, but they all swiftly ignore it. 

“Do your chores, we’ll be waiting in the TV room,” smiles your brother, putting his arm around your shoulders. As they leave, you turn to him.

“Why did you invite them? I thought you wanted to see the game without any players involved.”

“I had a talk with the guys while you weren’t around." He ignores your how-dare-you-make-any-decisions-when-i-am-not-around look. "What we've seen at practice exceeded our expectations. Yukio has improved greatly. That drive of his is now a real weapon. And Kise … I don’t know where to start with this boy. He’s a monster, so to say, and I don't mean it as an insult. I wonder what more he has in store. I can guarantee he hasn't shown all of his cards. The guys wish to see it as well. It will also give us a better picture of where we can be helpful. I think Yukio and Kise’s opinion on the game might prove to be helpful as well. And it will also remind them where they don’t want to be again. They’ll be reminded of the feelings they probably never want to experience again.”

"Not likely - defeat is part of the sport, no matter how good you are," you say. 

"Aren't you smart," your brother teases you. 

“Why don’t you just admit it and tell me you didn’t believe me when I told you about it? Your expectations weren't exactly high,” you say as you two are walking up the stairs into the TV room.

“How was I supposed to know? Anyone would think you’re just overreacting. And you’re saying Kagami also improved drastically?”

“He won against Kise,” you say simply, leaving your brother shocked. "He's not the clumsy boy you used to know anymore. He's matured." 

“I’ve always thought there was something wild about that boy. He’s got a lot of natural talent as well. I think I might see this Winter Cup for myself. I want to see my former students and this Kiseki no Sedai you talk about non-stop.”

“I’ve only met Kise and Aomine until now. You’re going to see Aomine very soon. They placed second at the Inter-High. I did some research on my own as well. There’s still the centre of the Kiseki no Sedai, Atsushi Murasakibara, the number one shooter, Shintaro Midorima, and their former captain, Seijirou Akashi, to meet.”

“And they are only, what, sixteen? Let’s see how they continue to evolve. If they really are as promising as you say they are, we should definitely keep an eye on them.”

“They might even beat your records one day,” you tease him.

He huffs, letting out a chuckle.

“They’re a hundred years too early to do that. This old bones still hold a trick or two in them. I’ll gladly accept their challenges if they even dare to challenge me.”

“No you won’t, you’re too old and too out of practice, so there is no point in denying it. Your old records will accept their challenges.”

You keep a straight face while you tease and this shocks him. 

“Hey, who are you calling old, you little witch?”

You dodge his arm, running forwards, laughing.

“No running on the stairs. Be more careful, you silly!” he exclaims as you dash forward. Worry is evident in his voice. It immediately takes all the fun out of the situation. 

“Does is it look like this knee is going anywhere?” you roll your eyes at him. “I’ve been working on my muscles, you know. Stop treating me like a cripple. I can't do sports professionally, but I can still have some fun in life, can't I?”

He ruffles your hair with an apologetic smile. 

“I know, little one. I bet you have done your best. How’s your knee –“

“It’s fine,” you cut him off, letting him know this topic is off limits. “Do you want to see that video or not?”

“Sure,” replies your brother shortly, sighing deeply as he follows you into the video room with the TV.

"We still have to wait for the boys though." 

"And whose fault is this?" you ask, without looking at him. 

"Hey, don't be mad at me. I can't help it, okay? I'm your older brother. My natural instinct is to be worried about you. I know I can be overprotective, but you have to understand that I can't simply stop caring. It's partly your fault as well." 

You turn around. 

"And how is that my fault? Sorry for not being born earlier or with the healthier constitution!" 

"This is beside the point, (f/n). I meant your character." 

"What about it?" 

"You're the type to hold everything inside of you. You never share your worries with you and shield all the burden by yourself. You push yourself to the limits just to make others happy and completely forget about your own happiness as well." 

"I tried it otherwise and it sure got me far, didn't it?" you snap at him. "How about you stop worrying about pointless things and just accept me for who I am? Or is it too much to ask? You need to realize something as well, (b/n). I'm not a little child anymore. I don't need your protection anymore. I appreciate the thought and I love you even more for it, but stop trying to control my life. Mum and dad have been more than enough. You're not my parent, you're my brother." 

Quite some time passes before he replies. 

"I'll do my best. Don't expect me to change overnight, though. But I mean it, (f/n). I'm always here if you need me. My doors are always opened for you if mum and dad become too much." 

You smile and hug him. He returns the hug. 

"Thanks, (b/n). Mum still expects me to forget about what happened and move on as if it never happened at all. She doesn't understand that the scars will always remain with me." 

"I know. But she loves you very much, you know." 

You nod. 

"I know. And I love you very much as well. Thank you for doing this." 

His face almost splits in two. You don't remember ever seeing him grinning so widely. 

"Anything for my little sister. Now ... let's entertain the other guests until Yukio and Kise join us. How about that?" 

You chukle. 

"You got it, bro'." 


	9. Precaution

_Five days later_

You can see some improvement when you compare your new notes to the old ones. Your brother has been individually working with Kasamatsu and Kise, overseeing their practice himself. Ever since he had seen the video of the Touou game, your brother has been looking at Kise through new eyes. You can tell he is itching to meet Aomine as well. You have absolutely no doubt that NBA scouts will hear about huge potential in Japan. You wouldn’t be surprised if some scouts would already be present at the upcoming Winter Cup. You’re glad you have your brother around – after he finally told Takeuchi that he can actually speak Japanese (and almost gave the poor man a heart attack), he freed you from some burden. Cooking, massaging and the manager’s job were all taking their share of your energy. You were the first to wake up and the last one go to bed. Even though Kasamatsu, Kise and your brother were all nagging you about taking a break.

 _As if I can afford to do that,_ you think after you finish the last massage of the day. _I’ll never admit that I can actually barely stand on my feet. I would never hear the end of the nagging. They’re worse than my mother, bless them._

Someone knocks on your doors.

“Come in,” you say while washing your hands. You’re surprised when you see Kise enter the room.

“What brings you here?” you ask, recovering your wits quickly.  

“(f/n)cchi, why so cold?” he whines, pouting.

“That was a normal greeting, idiot,” you say, slightly annoyed.

“I was wondering whether you could fit me into your schedule for today.”

You lean your head to the side.

“That’s unusual. You’ve never complained until now.”

“It’s okay if you can’t. It’s not a big de-“

“Sit,” you say, the tone of your voice letting him know not to try and argue with you. He obeys you without an objection.

“What’s the problem?” you ask, as you sit down on a small chair you have next to the massage table.

“My ankle.”

_Halleluah!_

“So you finally admitted.”

“Eh?” He blinks in surprise as if completely bewildered that you knew. You shake your head.

“I admit my eyesight is far from perfect but I’m not blind, Kise. You’ve been having problems with your ankle ever since you’ve faced Aomine.”

“Nothing escapes you,” he smiles a little. “Where are you observing me this closely?”

You throw him an annoyed look.

“Take your shoes and socks off. Then put your legs together. I need to see your healthy ankle.”

He does as he’s told without a witty remark. Even he knows it’s not the time to crack jokes.

“It’s swollen alright. Is it your first sprain?”

_And saying that it’s swollen is an understatement._

“I don’t know, to be honest. Your mother has been treating it as well.”

“She also probably instructed you to take a break,” you say sternly, trying to keep your annoyance in check.  

“I can’t afford to take a break now.”

You close your eyes, praying for patience.

_What’s with this macho stubbornness?_

“And you can’t afford to risk a serious injury either,” you shoot back, sitting back down on the chair and squeeze some gel on his ankle.

“What, you’re giving me a hard time over this now? It’s nothing serious.”

He seems taken aback by your reaction.

 _God give me patience._  

“If it isn’t serious, why is your ankle so swollen then?” you say, not looking at him, gently massaging the injured spot. You feel him twitching every time you pass a sensitive area.

 _Nothing seems to be torn._  

“I have already made an appointment with your mother after we get back. I promise it’s going to be fine. So please keep this for yourself. I don’t want anyone to worry about me.”

You can feel his eyes on you, but you don’t look back at him.

“You mean you don’t want the coach to know because he is definitely going to bench you, right?”

“You know me so well, (f/n).”

You look up, your face dark.

“I’m going to keep track, Kise. If I hear you’ve lied to me about your appointment with my mother, I swear to God you’re not going to step on the basketball court as long as I’m around.”

“Aw, look at you! You’re getting all worked up because of me!”

He beams you a blinding smile that must have turned many female knees into a pudding, but it doesn’t work on you. You’re too angry with him to be dazzled by his handsome face.

“I mean it, Kise. This is not the time –“

“Ryouta,” he interrupts you.

You raise your eyebrows.

“We’re in the middle of an important discussion, and you just interrupted me because I didn’t call you by your first name? You seriously need to set your priorities straight, _Kise_.”

“You only call me Kise when you’re angry with me.”

“Oh, believe me, that I am.”

“Why? Because I got injured?” He looks stunned.

“What? No!” you almost scoff, moving the chair away to create a little distance between the two of you.

“Why would I get mad at you because you got injured? This is absurd! I’m mad at you because you’re treating this as if it’s nothing! I’m angry with you because you just refuse to listen to your body. I’m afraid you’re going to cross the line and cause an even greater injury!”

You furiously throw the towel in your hands in the towel basket, standing up, trying to keep your anger under control. You can feel your blood boiling.

_This isn’t fair …_

“Look, Kise. I used to be just like you once. And look where this brought me. I’ll never be able to do sport like you ever. Much less do it professionally. You’re given the possibility to become one of the greatest athletes, and you’re endangering it with your stubbornness!”

_Oh, for heaven’s sake, (f/n). Don’t start crying now._

Then you suddenly feel muscular arms around you, and Kise pulls you into a back hug, your back tightly pressed against his chiselled chest. For a moment, your mind goes blank, and you freeze on the spot, not knowing what to do. Then you feel the blood rushing to your face and the heat in your cheeks.

“I’m sorry, (f/n),” he whispers, his hot breath causing a tickling sensation in your guts.

“I’m sorry you had to go through this. It’s not your fault. You didn’t get injured by a choice. Just because you can’t do sport professionally, it doesn’t mean you can’t do all the other great things. Just look what an amazing job you’re doing for us. You’re one of the best students in your class, and you have so many other talents you can put to use.”

His body warmth calms you down, and you have to admit that it’s pleasant to be in his arms. You subconsciously lean on him, enjoying the moment. He smiles when he notices that you relaxed in his arms.

“Please, don’t be angry with me. I know you worry about me, and I appreciate your concern. It makes me happy. But let me make decisions for myself. I’m old enough to know when to stop.”

“Do you?” you ask, not convinced.

“I want you to trust me on this, (f/n). I want you to trust me that I will take the right precautions to prevent a worse injury. Can you do this? For my sake. And for ours.”

_Ours?_

You turn around, taking a step away from him so you can look him straight in the face.

“What do you mean by ‘ours’, Ryouta?”

A small smile appears on his lips.

“You see, it’s not so hard to call me by my name. I’ll take this as a sign of your consent.”

Before you can respond, he quickly takes his things, winks at you, and walks out of the room.

_Consent? What consent? I don’t remember agreeing to anything._

Yet you can still feel your lips twitching in a desire to smile.

_But I’ll be keeping a close eye on him. If I see one abnormality, I’m not going to stay put … even if he hates me for it later.  
_


	10. The Festival

You are standing in front of the mirror, looking at yourself from different angles. You’re not used to wearing a dress, but your brother insisted that you put it on, as you somehow managed to convince Takeuchi to let you all visit a summer festival, which was held nearby. It was a smaller festival, not widely known, but the boys deserved to have a little fun, because they were practising really hard.

 _This looks so weird on me_ , you think for yourself, sighing. You fix your make-up for the last time and then turn to the doors.

_Let’s just get this over with._

You look at the time. It’s still early.

_Good. I’m right on time. Better be the first one to arrive. This way, no one will be staring at me too much._

You nod to yourself, satisfied with your plan. You walk to the stairs with a big smile. Your plan had but one flaw – you didn’t consider the enthusiasm of the team to finally get some free time. Even though you’re more than ten minutes too early, everyone is already waiting downstairs. Your smile fades from your face, and you gawk at them. They have never been early! One by one, the boys look up, and stare at you.

“Lo and behold, boys! You’re witnessing a rare side of my beloved little sister wearing a dress!”

If looks could kill, a thousand daggers would pierce your brother. Most of the boys laugh at your brother’s comment. You blush fifty shades red, not knowing where to look, or what to do with your hands. Then you feel an intense gaze upon you. You look up, and meet with Kise’s eyes. There is a strange spark inside of them, and a small smile is resting on his lips. You can’t hold his gaze for long, so your eyes switch to Kasamatsu. He too is smiling at you.

“Are you coming, or is one of us supposed to escort you?” he asks teasingly.

“Don’t you dare!” you exclaim, quickly forcing your legs to move. You can still feel your cheeks burning with embarrassment. You mutter a dozen of quick prayers, and beg not to trip. You let out a relieved sigh once the last stair is behind you.

“The star makes her big entry,” says Kasamatsu with a dramatic voice, winking at you.

“And here I was planning to go as incognito as possible,” you pout. “You ruined my plan. Why did you all have to be early _now_?”

Moriyama takes a step forward, and bows before you, taking your hand into his, pressing a gentle kiss on it.

“My princess, you look absolutely stunning. Don’t mind these simpletons with no manners.”

You’re so surprised you only gawk at him, while he turns to Kasamatsu.

“This is how you’re supposed to treat a girl, Kasamatsu. You’ll never get a girlfriend otherwise.”

Kasamatsu blushes, taking a swing at laughing Moriyama, who quickly jumps out of the way.

“Do you have a death wish, Playeryama?” exclaims Kasamatsu.

You manage to come back to your senses in the meantime.

“Yukio, as much as I love you, I have to agree with Moriyama-senpai. Knights in shining armour are always desired.”

“Et tu, mi Brute?” mutters Kasamatsu, giving you a sad look.

“You guys may practice your roles of knights anytime, but not with my sister when I’m around!” exclaims your brother. You nudge him in the ribs, making him wince.

“Oh no, you don’t. You’re not pulling your big brother card out now! You started the whole teasing thing!”

The team laughs at your friendly bickering. You see Takeuchi and other staff members standing outside.

“Don’t tell me you were all waiting for me?” you whisper to Kasamatsu. He suddenly appears to be interesting in the ceiling.

“Yukio,” you say, a warning evident in your voice. “Did you do this on purpose?”

“My goodness, look at the time! We better go, or else we’ll miss all the fun!” he exclaims, quickly starting to push guys outside. You narrow your eyes at him, promising yourself to get answers from him. You all get on the bus, and you sit down next to your brother.

“You so planned this, didn’t you?” you ask him bitterly.

“I’m as innocent as a lamb,” he answers, raising his hands in defence.

“Yeah right, and I was a president of the US in my previous life,” you shot back, rolling your eyes.

“That would explain a lot,” your brother replies back, smiling widely. You punch him in the shoulder.

“Stop teasing me! Geez, you’re nearing your forties, and you’re so immature!”

He gasps.

“I’m in the middle of my thirties, thank you very much! You’re still a teenager, missy.”

“Exactly. I’m at the peak of my youth, while –“

You pretend to take a closer look at his (h/c) hair, taking a sharp breath.

“Oh my, is that a grey hair I see? You’re getting old, brother dearest.”

“You totally deserved all eyes on you in the inn, you little devil,” he replies bitterly.

You lean back on your seat, chuckling.

“I guess we’re even now. Do you know how long you’re staying here?”

He shrugs as little.

“I have to return to (country’s/city’s name), but I’ll be back for the Winter Cup. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

You smile.

“They really impressed you, didn’t they?”

He nods.

“I already admitted that. I have yet to see the other teams, and the remaining members of the Generation of Miracles. But both Aomine and Kise have potential to become players of the highest calibre. If their remaining three former teammates are anything like that, then I can say the same for them as well. But I’ll need to see them with my own eyes to be able to support my claim.”

“Not to mention Taiga. You’ll like Seirin. You’ve always been a fan of the team-play. And they are probably the best in the whole country at it.”

Your brother smiles.

“Then this Winter Cup is definitely something I shouldn’t miss.”

You nod, stealing a glance at Kise.

_No … you really shouldn’t. Winter Cup will be an all-out war between the members of the Generation of Miracles. I wonder who will take the crown … and I mustn’t forget the dark horse of the competition. It’s time we pay Seirin back._

“You are free to do what you wish. We’ll meet here in five hours, after the firework. Have fun, and behave.”

Boys disperse around at Takeuchi’s words.

“They invited me to go drinking with them. I hope you’re not mad I won’t be able to spend time here with you,” says your brother, smiling apologetically. You shake your head to dismiss his words.

“No worries. There will be other opportunities. Don’t get drunk, or else I don’t know who’s going to carry you around,” you tease him. Your brother ruffles your hair in affection.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t been that drunk since my twenty-first birthday. And that was the last time as well. I will never forget that headache. My head was going to split in half.”

“Lesson well learned,” you smile.

He waves at you, and goes after Takeuchi. You take a look around, suddenly feeling a little alone. Then all of a sudden, Moriyama appears next to you.

“Don’t look so lost, (f/n)-chan. We didn’t leave you.”

Kasamatsu, Kobori, and Kise are all standing nearby, waving at you.

“You coming or not?” calls Yukio out to you. “We don’t have all night, you know!”

You smirk.

“Typical. He’ll never get a girlfriend at this rate,” you say so only Moriyama can hear you. He bursts into laughter, but you give him a quick nudge in the ribs. You’re not in the mood for running, and Kasamatsu would definitely want to pay you back for your words.

“What do you want to do?” asks Kise, while Kasamatsu is trying to find out the reason for Moriyama’s hysterical laughter.

You shrug, looking around.

“I don’t know. I’ll just go with the flow. This is your free night. A well-deserved one too.”

His eyes soften a little.

“It’s your free night too, you know. You’ve been working harder than anyone all this time.”

You let out a sigh.

“How many times do I have to tell you that it’s nothing?”

He raises his eyebrows.

“Why can’t you just take the compliment?”

His eyes study you closely.

“It seems like you’re selling yourself short here, (f/n).”

“What do you mean?”

Your eyes challenge his.

“I think you know,” he says, crossing his arms. “Everything you do never seems to be good enough. At least that’s your belief, apparently. Let me tell you one thing, (f/n). You’ve been doing an incredible job, and more than enough. I’d say it’s safe to say that you went all-out and beyond for us. Now take the compliment, and stop playing tough.”

You suddenly feel vulnerable under his blazing eyes. You can feel panic rising inside of you; you feel like there’s no wall between you two. Your raw emotions, insecurities, memories – everything is at his disposal.

 _I’m not ready for this,_ you think to yourself, and finally manage to break the eye-contact between you two.

“I appreciate your words, Kise. But don’t pretend you understand or know me. You think everything is black and white, but it isn’t. Don’t go all Freud on me.”

You can hear him sighing.

“As you wish. I was only trying to point out the obvious. If you want to run away from the truth, fine. But there’s a limit to how long you can keep running, you know. Sooner or later, you have to face your problems head-on.”

Before you can reply, he casually takes your hand into his, and covers it with the other.

“Look, (f/n). I can feel there’s a fight brewing between us. How about we just forget about that for now, and just enjoy ourselves for a change? I want to cherish this memory with you.”

You can feel a treacherous blush appearing on your cheeks, and you can feel the warmth of his hands. It makes your skin come alive with electricity.

_There it is. The old spark I feel whenever he touches me. I wonder if he feels it, too?_

You mentally shake your head at yourself.

_No, of course he doesn’t. Why would he?_

“You look cute when you blush,” he teases you. You quickly pull your hand from his, not daring to look him in the eyes.

“No, I don’t. I look like a lobster.”

You can hear him chuckle and all of a sudden, he bends down to whisper in your ear: “I happen to like lobsters.”

You can’t help but snort.

“You’re hopeless.”

He laughs.

“So I’ve been told.”

“Hey, you two! Are you coming or not?”

Kasamatsu’s voice brings you back to reality. Kise’s face darkens a little bit, but you can’t be sure about it; it could be the lights.

“Where are we going?” you ask.

“Want to have a golden fish?” asks Moriyama, and you shake your head.

“Nope, I’m good. I have a cat already. I don’t think (your cat’s name) would be too pleased if I brought another animal at home. (He/She) is a bit selfish, you know, and doesn’t like to share the spotlight.”

“How can a man compete against a cat?” whines Moriyama, making you laugh.

“There’s only one answer to it,” you say, trying to keep a dead serious face. You notice how they all automatically lean closer to you to hear the answer.

“He can’t.”

They all snort.

“That’s it. It seems like your heart is unattainable, (f/n)-chan,” says Moriyama dramatically.

You smirk.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for a long time.”

You notice Kasamatsu smiling at you, and you give him a discreet wink that makes his eyes sparkle a little.

“Excuse me, are you guys basketball players?”

You all turn around to notice a group of three girls standing next to you. They are all wearing a yukata – one’s blue, second red, and the third white. All have a flower pattern on it.

 _They look really cute,_ you think with a little bit of envy, suddenly feeling a bit out of place.

“Yes, we are,” replies Moriyama casually. “What gave us away?”

The girls giggle.

“You’re so tall. And good looking. Are you a model?” says the girl in a red yukata, turning to Kise.

“Occasionally,” he replies short.

You notice how Kasamatsu is blushing wildly.

“Yukio, relax. You’re going to hyperventilate,” you say to him quietly, but the girls finally spot you. They seem a bit surprised, and you suddenly feel annoyed by that.

 _What, got a problem?_ you challenge them with your eyes.

The girls chuckle, concealing their embarrassment.

“You have to be so smart as well,” says one of them.

Kise raises his eyebrows.

“What makes you say that?”

They don’t answer, but they all look at you. This makes _you_ raise your eyebrows.

“I can speak Japanese, you know,” you say casually.

“Oh … I see,” says the one in the red yukata. She’s obviously the leader of some sort. She turns back to the boys.

“My name is Naomi, and this is Hana and Mina,” she boldly says. The boys nod in acknowledgement, and shortly introduce themselves. You’re cut off before you can do the same.

“Would you like to hang out with us for a while? We’re locals here,” says Naomi just as you are about to introduce yourself. You close your mouth, not knowing how to react since you don’t want to cause a scene.

“I’ll pass,” you hear Kasamatsu muttering next to you. One of the girls, Hana, looks a bit disappointed in his words. She casually takes a step closer to him, touching his arm.

“It would be a pity if you don’t come along. Are you sure?”

Kasamatsu jumps at her touch, almost hiding behind you.

“Excuse me, but as you can tell, he doesn’t like being touched by strangers,” you say to the girl, a hint of a warning in your voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you his girlfriend?”

“No, but I don’t have to be his girlfriend to tell you to respect his boundaries,” you reply, knowing you have to be harsh for her to back off.

She scoffs.

“Then who are you to tell me what to do?”

You raise your eyebrows.

“I happen to be his best friend. Which in this case gives me more right to tell you not to be pushy, since you’re just a stranger.”

“Now, now girls. Let’s all calm down here,” says Moriyama, casually stepping between you two. “There’s no need to fight. Hana-san, you should know that Kasamatsu can be a bit timid, and he’s not really comfortable around strangers. Please respect that.”

Hana shots you an angry glance, but she nods.

“I understand. I apologise for making you uncomfortable, Kasamatsu-san.”

You can see him nodding with the corner of your eye.

“It’s fine,” he replies shortly.

“Thank you for backing me up here,” he whispers, so only you can hear him. You nod.

“It’s nothing.”

“So how about we get something to eat?” suggests Naomi, plastering a smile on her face. “We can recommend some delicious local delicacies. I’m sure _you’re_ not in danger to gain weight due to your hard work.”

She shots you nasty look, and you raise your eyebrows. You know very well what she meant to say between the lines. You can feel your cheeks turning red, and there’s a hint of embarrassment in your emotions.

“Sure, I’ve seen some things I’d like to try. Everyone’s on board?”

“(f/n), I know you probably don’t want to go, but can you please go for my sake?” quietly Kasamatsu asks you. You nod.

“Sure.”

You all start walking. Naomi is engaged in a conversation with Kise, while Mina is walking between Kobori and Moriyama, giggling at their words. Kasamatsu is walking next to Moriyama, and you’re at his side.  

“Kasamatsu-san, I really hope you’re not too angry with me for my actions. I wasn’t thinking, and I’m really sorry about what I did.”

Mina suddenly appears at Kasamatsu’s side, almost pushing you away. You have to stop, or else she would have collided with you.

“It’s nothing.”

You can tell how uncomfortable Kasamatsu is, but Mina keeps apologising and is making a small talk in-between, and you notice him relax after a while.

_Seems like I’m forgotten and no longer needed._

You know when you’re not wanted. You can take the hint. So you quietly leave them, giving them space.

_They deserved it. Why shouldn’t they enjoy themselves … right?_

You can feel a sting of pain in your heart, but you stubbornly swallow your tears. But the festival has lost its charm for you. You buy yourself a small souvenir, and then head over to the part where it’s not so crowded. You sit down on a bench, looking up into the sky.

_I’m used to it, am I not? So why does this hurt so badly then? I shouldn’t be so selfish. Yet I can’t help myself._

You pull out your phone, about to contact your brother, but you change your mind the last minute, and delete the message.

_He’s having fun. I don’t want to be a bother._

Just as you are about to put the phone away, you can feel it buzzing, and Kise’s name appears on the screen. You hesitate for a moment.

_If I don’t answer, he might be worried._

“Kise, why-“ you say, but immediately put the phone away from your ear, since he starts yelling.

“(f/n), where the hell are you? Are you alright? Are you hurt? Answer me!”

“Can you please stop yelling at me?” you say, annoyed. It’s not your fault he was too busy flirting to notice you’re gone!

“Don’t tell me what to do, you reckless woman! Where are you?”

You can hear his breathing is faster than normal, meaning he had to be running.

“Reckless woman? Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”

Anger boils inside of you, and you raise your voice as well.

“Just answer the damn question!”

“I’m fine! Go back to whatever it is that you’ve been doing! Stop worrying about me!”

“(f/n), quit messing with me, and tell me where you are!”

“No! Took you long enough to notice I’m gone! For all I know, I could be lying in an abandoned ditch right now, and you wouldn’t even notice!”

“You obviously aren’t, or else you wouldn’t be yelling at me! Can you please stop acting like a spoiled child, and tell me WHERE. THE. FUCK. YOU. ARE?”

“You know what, Kise? You can –“

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Ryouta?”

“Oh, just … Ugh, screw you!”

“Don’t you dare to hang –“

You do exactly that. You hang up on him, frustrated to your very limit. You don’t even know what came over you.

_It took him more than an hour to notice I was gone, and he has the guts to tell me I’m acting like a spoiled child? The nerves!_

Your phone starts ringing again, but you disconnect the call.

_There’s no way in hell I’m picking up! He can yell at someone else, for all I care!_

You can suddenly hear someone running towards you, and you look up, surprised. Kise is sprinting towards you, clutching his phone in his hand. You jump to your feet, taking your defensive stance. You expect him to stop in front of you, but instead, he pulls you into a tight hug. You’re frozen to the spot. You can hear him breathing heavily, and you can feel his heart beating like crazy.

_What should I do?_

Your brain is overloaded, so you’re just standing there like a statue.

“Don’t do that to me again,” he says eventually. He’s not hugging you anymore, but he has both of his hands on your shoulders, arms extended. He’s trying to catch his breath.

“I really thought something happened to you. I’ve had a dozen heart attacks in the last hour.”

_So he’s been looking for me for that long?_

You’re stunned.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he asks, his voice full of accusation. This makes your blood boil again.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was trying to say something, but I got cut off the moment I tried,” you reply, barely keeping the sarcasm out of your voice. “And I kind of ceased to exist.”

“Don’t be such a drama queen.”

You scoff, shaking his hands off you.

“I can do whatever I want, Kise. And trust me, I know when I’m not desired to be around. You have absolutely no right to call me a drama queen! I hate being called that!”

“Then don’t act like a child and speak up next time!”

“I did, but nobody noticed! You were all too busy!”

He snorts.

“Were you jealous? Is that what this is about?”

You suddenly want to push him away. You know you’re too angry to have a civil conversation.

“Jealous?”

“Yeah, jealous! Because we weren’t paying attention to you?”

You have to restrain yourself from slapping him.

“I see. Is this the kind of person you take me for?”

He scoffs.

“Don’t try to change the subject now.”

“I’m _jealous_ of a lot of things, but that’s not what this is about. I told you I know when I’m not wanted to be around. I can read in-between the lines, and the body language. I gave you space to have fun, Kise! And even if I were jealous, I don’t have any right to be! Just like _you_ don’t have the right to yell at me like I committed some sort of a crime!”

He looks stunned for a moment.

“What do you mean? We came here together! If we – if _I_ didn’t want to spend time with you here, do you think I would have bothered to hang out with you in the first place?”

You let out a frustrated sigh.

“That’s not the point. Look, it’s not about you. Those girls obviously didn’t want me around, but you all looked more than ready to get to know them. Who am I to stop you from making new friends and having fun? So stop being a hypocrite, Kise. You say you wanted to spend time with me, but you ditched me the moment a pretty girl came by.”

Before he can reply, you raise your hands in the air.

“Look, you don’t owe me anything. I’m more mad at myself than I’m angry with you. I’m used of this, you know. I probably never should have answered your phone call as well. I was waiting here for the fireworks, minding my own business, not bothering anyone, not being the third wheel. I was going to meet you all at the bus. I’m sorry if I ruined your fun, okay?”

For a few moments, he’s only staring at you.

“You think you ruined my fun? Now who’s being a hypocrite?”

“Excuse me?” you scoff.

“You can’t even be honest with yourself, and you’re calling me a hypocrite? Just for a moment, stop feeling sorry for yourself and think about it!”

You’re too shocked to say anything, so he continues.

“Why don’t you just simply admit you were jealous? It’s obvious, and yet you keep denying it! You wouldn’t be like this if that wasn’t the case. You’re a smart girl, (f/n), but sometimes you really do act like a child! Running away like that is never going to solve anything. You need to become honest with yourself!”

“Who the hell do you think you are, my father?” you yell at him, your eyes flashing with anger. “You think you know me, but you don’t! Like I said before, you think everything is so plain and easy to understand, but it’s not! I’ve been through a lot of crap in my life, and you don’t even know half of it! What gives you the right to act like you know me better than I know myself?”

“That’s probably because I do! I seem to understand you more than you know, but you keep pushing me away!”

“Of course I keep pushing you away, Kise! You make me vulnerable! It took you an hour to notice I was gone, while you were busy with that girl. You act like you care so much, when in truth, you don’t!”

His eyes were flashing with anger.

“Is this what you think of me? That’s I’m some player?”

“Aren’t you?” you shot back, not looking away.

“I think I’ve already told you once that I’m not. Not when I get serious.”

You smirk.

“Well, I suppose you aren’t serious then.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, (f/n).”

“Prove me wrong, then.”

Silence falls between the two of you. He seems to be struggling with himself, while you’re trying to fight off the tears.

“I will,” he says all of a sudden. His eyes are sparkling with determination. “But you have to give me a chance then.”

You look him straight into the eyes.

“You have to prove you’re worthy of one.”

A small smile appears on his lips.

“Is this is a challenge?”

You are interrupted by the firework. You know the worst has passed as you admire the beautiful shapes of the light. You two stand side-by-side, and his hand carefully looks for yours. You don’t pull away, and your fingers intertwine.

“You haven’t answered my question,” he says. You can tell he’s smiling without having to look at him. You smile as well.

“We’ve both said some pretty harsh things not so long ago. We blew the whole thing out of proportions. Can’t we just enjoy the moment?”

He chuckles.

“You aren’t going to apologise, are you?”

You shake your head.

“And neither are you.”

You finally look at him, and he looks back at you.

“I suppose this is a challenge,” he whispers.

You smile widely.

“And here, Ryouta, is your answer.”


	11. The Visit

You nervously stand beside your parents on the doorstep of Kasamatsu’s house. You’ve returned from the camp a few days ago and resumed the usual practice schedule. Kasamatsu has officially invited your family to dinner, and your brother also extended his stay in Japan, to practice with Kise and Kasamatsu individually. Your parents seem at ease, and your brother also doesn’t look concern.

 _I must be the only worryguts in the family,_ you think for yourself, shifting from one leg to the other. The door of the house opens and Kasamatsu greets you all with a smile.

“Welcome! I apologize it took so long, I was just preparing the table.”

“We apologize for arriving a bit early,” your father says while shaking his hand. Kasamatsu dismisses his apology with a smile.

“Nonsense, it’s not a problem at all. Please, come in!”

He shakes hand with your mother and greets your brother with a handshake they came up with. He then smiles widely at you, hugging you briefly with one arm.

“You seem a bit nervous,” he teases you and follows you into the house.

“Well, a bit,” you admit.

“You really are a worryguts, you know? You have nothing to be afraid of! My family practically adores you all already.”

You blush at his words.

“Then let us hope we’ll meet their expectations.”

Kasamatsu grins at you when cheerful sounds are heard from the living room.

“I’d say you exceeded them.”

You follow him in the living room, where you’re greeted by his parents and two younger brothers; you offer them your hand, but they all hug you instead, thanking you for being such a good friend to Kasamatsu. You blush at their words and quickly dismiss them.

“I am afraid I am the one who should consider herself lucky, Mr and Mrs Kasamatsu. Your son is the best friend I could ask for.”

Kasamatsu’s parents seem extremely pleased with your praise.

 

“You see? Everything’s fine,” Kasamatsu says to you during dinner. You look around; your parents are fully engaged in a conversation with Kasamatsu’s parents and his brothers are completely taken with your brothers.

“Yeah, you’re right. I really do worry too much,” you say with a smile, trying to remember the happy scene you’re witnessing.

“It’s part of your charm. You wouldn’t be who you are if you didn’t worry. Don’t change.”

You look at him, noticing his face is dead serious when he says that. His eyes are soft though. You blush and subconsciously fix your hair behind your ear.

“Your family is really nice. You can be happy to have them.”

He nods, his face softening when he looks down the table.

“I am. I was blessed to have two good families.”

You chuckle.

“What are you on? I might make you eat or drink that more often. You’re not going soft, are you?”

He laughs quietly.

“Definitely not. I can switch to the Demon-Captain mode any time.”

“Please don’t. At least not outside of practice.”

He smirks.

“It’s not that bad.”

“Says you,” you reply without missing a beat, “You obviously have no idea how scary you can be.”

“It doesn’t seem to work on you, though,” he mutters, sounding genuinely disappointed. You chuckle.

“Of course it doesn’t. I do respect you, though. A lot.”

He nods.

“I know. Otherwise, we’d have a problem at practice.”

You raise your eyebrows.

“Who do you take me for, an amateur? I grew up in this family,” you say, gesturing towards your parents and brother. “I know some lines exist. It doesn’t mean we’re not friends at basketball too, though.”

“We’ve been doing just fine, so no complaints here,” he reassures you.

“Yukio, why don’t you show (f/n)-san around the house?” his mother calls to him. You can see his ears turn bright red.

“Mum!” he exclaims, obviously embarrassed.

“It’s fine, Mrs Kasamatsu. I really don’t wish to be –“

You’re interrupted by the protests from Kasamatsu’s parents. His brothers turn to your brother, excited, and offer to give him the tour. Your brother stands up, smiling down at them. He lifts them up.

“Where to, my small friends?”

They like the attention he’s giving them, so they let out a loud giggle as they guide him out of the room.

“Come, I’ll show you around.”

Before you can protest, Kasamatsu takes your hand and pulls you behind him before you can excuse yourself.

“It’s fine, you really don’t have to –“

“I should’ve thought of this myself, to be honest. I’m rather embarrassed it didn’t cross my mind,” he admits.

“Well, I’ll be in your care then.”

He smiles back at you.

“You did get the best guide.”

His eyes sparkle with amusement.

“Don’t get too arrogant, though,” you laugh.

“Me? Never.”

He shows you around the house. Only once you two enter his room you realize he’s still actually holding your hand. He notices that at the exact same time and quickly lets you go, blushing.

“I’m sorry about that.”

You look at your hand surprised.

“I actually haven’t even noticed it. Huh.”

“Well, this is my room,” he says and makes a gesture with his hand.

“It’s really you,” you smile once you spot how tidy it is.

“Everything’s in order. And basketball everywhere.”

He grins.

“What did you expect?”

You shrug.

“I was hoping to get some dirt on you, but I guess you were too thorough in your cleaning.”

He gives you a mischievous smile.

“I’m a professional after all, not some amateur.”

Your eyes stop at the guitar in the corner of the room.

“Oh, I didn’t know you can play!”

He smiles at the excitement in your voice, and his face softens when you rush to the guitar, taking it into your arms carefully.

“You can play, right?”

He leans on the wall with a shoulder and crosses his arms over his chest, smiling.

“Yup, I can. Do you think I have it here just for the sake of impressing you?”

“Stranger things have happened,” you reply. Your fingers gently travel over the instrument. You immediately noticed it is in excellent condition.

“You never told me you play.”

He grins, “You never asked as well.”

“Could you play something for me?”

He doesn’t have the heart to say no to you when you’re this excited. Your face is practically glowing.

“Sure. Do you have any wishes?”

You shake your head and hand him the guitar.

“Just play whatever you’re most comfortable with.”

“Tough crowd,” he mutters as he sits down on the bed. You join him, observing his movements.

“Not really. I really like the guitar, you know.”

He seems surprised and looks up from the instrument.

“I thought you liked piano.”

“That too. But I’ve thought it’s charming if a boy can play the guitar.”

He blushes again, turning his attention to the instrument again.

“You look great, by the way.”

You’re caught off guard by his words, and he seems absolutely horrified at himself.

“I mean, this shirt really suits you,” he quickly stutters, blushing so hard even his neck turns red.

“Thanks,” you manage to say, also blushing to the shade of tomato.

“Okay, here I go,” he says quietly, his fingers gently hitting some accords. He plays ________________ (*insert song of your choice*), his forehead frowned from concentration. You’re hypnotised by his image. He seems different and you can tell he’s completely lost in the music. A smile appears on your lips and you can feel the warmth spreading in your chest. You suddenly feel a new appreciation for him. He’s just shown you another vulnerable and sensitive side of him without any restraint.

_He’s been my anchor and rock when I was at my worst. I’m really glad he’s in my life. I know he seems rough and cold on the outside, but there’s a whole different side of him beneath the surface. Once he shakes off all the pressure and responsibility he carries around as a captain, Yukio is just a regular boy._

Last notes fade in the air, and he opens his eyes. He seems surprised at himself. There’s a moment of silence before your hands finally obey you, and you start clapping excitedly.

“That was beautiful! I didn’t know you’re so talented!”

He blushes at your compliment, but you can tell he’s very pleased with the praise.

“What did you expect? I’m a man of many talents.”

You give him a playful nudge.

“Don’t get too arrogant, Mr I’m-Super-Talented-And-Good-At-Everything-I-Do. I’m sure I can think of one or two weaknesses.”

He chuckles at your words.

“I guess I didn’t manage to mesmerize you enough.”

“Maybe you should try again,” you smile slyly.

He laughs.

“You’re using me now; you just want a free concert.”

“I’ll be your number fan~,” you say, fluttering your eyelashes at him. “Preeeety please?”

“Fine. I guess I can play one more song for you then.”

“Yaay!” you clap excitedly.

“On one condition, though.”

You raise your eyebrows, taken aback.

“What condition?”

He grins widely.

“You have to sing with me.”

You just gap at him.

“You’re blackmailing me, aren’t you?” you ask bitterly.

“Me? I would never! That’s just preposterous!” he exclaims, putting a hand over his heart in a mocked shock.

“Can’t you just play a song?” you try, but he’s merciless.

“I’ll play if you sing.”

“Uuuugh … fine. FINE. I’ll do it because I really want to hear you play!”

He nods, satisfied.

“You may pick a song.”

“Oh, what a gentleman you are,” you say in a mocking tone.

“I aim to please, my lady.”

You snort.

“Sure. Okay … how about ____________ (*insert a song of your own choice*)?”

He thinks for a moment, “It sounds familiar, can you just hum the melody for me?”

You sigh but oblige his request. After a few seconds, he smiles widely.

“Okay, got it. Sure, we can do that.”

He plays a few according, his eyes meeting yours.

“Ready?”

You clear your throat, straightening your back.

“Diva is ready. Hit it!”

 

The first thing you notice after the song ends is your brother standing at the door, holding his phone up.

“(brother’s name)! What do you think you’re doing?”

He just smiles widely at you, quickly putting his phone away before you’d get any ideas.

“This was really good, guys. And I’m not teasing. Bravo!”

Yukio doesn’t know where to look from the embarrassment.

“You better not post this anywhere or else,” you threaten your brother.

“As you wish. But I meant it – it was really good.”

“Get out and mind your own business,” you say grumpily, nearly pushing him out of the room.

“Sorry about that. I can assure you he won’t post it anywhere, so we’re safe.”

Yukio chuckles.

“Actually, he was right about one thing, you know.”

“Oh?” you say, raising your eyebrows. “I must have missed the memo.”

Kasamatsu looks at you and you can see the spark in his eyes.

“This was actually pretty good, you know.”

You smile.

“Yeah, it was. Minus all the notes I missed.”

He shakes his head.

“I mean it, (f/n). It was really nice.”

You flip your hair over your shoulder, pretending to be extremely pleased.

“Well, it _was_ really good if I say so myself.”

You two burst into laughter the moment later.

“Thanks for playing for me, Yukio. You’re pretty good at it.”

“Just ‘pretty good’, huh?”

You roll your eyes at him, “Fine, you’re _really_ good at this. Which reminds me – why didn’t you take the guitar with you when we went to a training camp?”

He shrugs, putting the guitar down.

“I don’t know. I’ve never really played for a bigger group, you know. I’m not sure I’ll be comfortable enough to be able to play in front of the guys.”

You dismiss his words with your hand.

“Nonsense. Even if you sucked I bet they’d cheered. They wouldn’t dare to do anything else.”

He laughs, his smile wicked.

“They really wouldn’t, would they? Good. It’s good to know I still wield such authority.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” you smile. “But all the joke aside, I think they would like it.”

“Okay. I’ll play for the team if you sing.”

“How did I get into this?” you ask, surprised.

“It’s non-negotiable. If I go down, you go down with me.”

“That’s just straight out selfish, you know,” you sulk, shaking your head at him.

“It sounds like something Kise might say.”

Kasamatsu smirks.

“Kise wouldn’t hesitate to display his talents now, would he?”

You chuckle.

“No, he probably wouldn’t be afraid. And his level of confidence is out of this world, so he’d manage to charm people even if he sucked.”

Kasamatsu nods.

“Indeed. I sometimes envy him that, you know. He’s pretty chilled, and I can’t seem to relax.”

You sit down next to him again.

“You two carry different responsibilities, you know. And if it’s any help, I wouldn’t change anything about you. Except for one thing.”

“What is that?” he asks, curious.

You grin widely.

“Well, I’d take away that groundless freeze you experience every time a girl talks to you.”

He seems offended.

“Hey, that was totally uncalled for! I can talk to girls.”

“Uh-ah. Sure you can. If it’s a yes or no question, then maybe. Otherwise, not really.”

“I can talk to you!”

“Yeah, I seem to be an exception.”

“You were persistent enough.”

“Or you don’t really see me a girl,” you think out-loud.

Your words leave him speechless for a moment.

“Trust me, I’m very much you’re a girl, (f/n). There’s just something about you that puts me at ease. Probably because I know you don’t have any expectations – you don’t expect me to be flawless, you don’t have an illusion about what I’m supposed to be like, or how I should act. Maybe this is the reason why I can be like this around you.”

You smile.

“It took me quite a while to get you here, though. You were a tough nut to crack, Kasamatsu Yukio.”

“You succeeded nevertheless.”

You nod, “And it makes me happy knowing I did it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“Now you’re just being cheesy.”

You laugh.

“Aaaand you ruined the mood. I thought we were having a deeper-level conversation here.”

“We are. But I couldn’t pass the opportunity.”

“I created a monster,” you say, pretending to be done with him.

“This one’s on you, Dr Frankenstein.”

“At least you have a name, so be happy,” you tease him back, and you two burst into laughter.

“On a more serious note, we’ll really need to do something about your problem, Yukio. How else will you ever get a girlfriend?”

He dismisses your words with his hand.

“I’m in no rush. Right now, I just want to focus on basketball and getting into the university. I don’t really have the time to date now. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

“What’s up with Kise and you? There’s this weird tension between you two.”

You blush furiously, and this doesn’t escape Kasamatsu.

“Look, I don’t want to pry, but I’m just trying to look out for you.”

“There’s nothing really going on between Kise and I. We have this weird relationship I can’t really define.”

“You two were holding hands when we found you at the festival,” he says, not buying your explanation.

“Caught in the moment, that’s all. We’re not dating, Yukio.”

“Do you like him?”

You don’t reply for a long time.

“I don’t know.”

You quickly look him in the eyes, “It’s not that I’m trying to avoid the question, honestly. I just really don’t know what I feel. He makes me crazy, but then he can say or do the sweetest things. He’s an enigma, and I can’t figure him out.”

Kasamatsu crosses arms on his chest, his muscles flexing beneath his shirt.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I have this feeling I should warn you, (f/n). Kise’s a good guy and all, but please be careful. I’m saying this for two reasons: firstly, I’m the captain of the basketball team and if things go sour I have to make sure performance of neither is going to get affected and secondly, you’re my best friend and I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I implore you to be careful with Kise.”

You sigh.

“I know, Yukio. I’m well aware of how complicated this is. It’s not like a guy like him could ever like a girl like me. Our school would explode.”

Yukio shakes his head, anger appearing on his face.

“That’s not what I meant! You’re more than good enough for him, and you really shouldn’t be selling yourself short.”

You shrug.

“If you say so.”

You make it clear you don’t want to discuss this any further, and he obliges even though he’s not happy about it.

“We’re making this something it’s not, anyway. I swear I’m not dating Kise. I don’t know what the future holds, but for now, I can promise it’s nothing but platonic between us.”

Kasamatsu nods, feeling relief all of a sudden. This surprises him. He wasn’t even aware that he was holding his breath. He actually felt a sting in his chest when he pictured you and Kise together. He wasn’t too happy when he saw you two holding hands at the festival either.

I _’m just worried about her. I don’t want to see her get hurt once again, that’s all,_ he assured himself.

_I’m just looking out for her because she’s like a sister to me._

“I believe you. Now that we’ve cleared this up, want to head back downstairs?”

You laugh.

“Trying to get me out of the room so fast? You’re just looking for an excuse to get me out before I would get a good chance to look around!”

Kasamatsu chuckles.

“So suspicious, but I can assure you there’s no ulterior motive at work here.”

“Uh-ah. Then you don’t mind if I take a look around?”

“Be my guest, I have nothing to hide.”

Apparently, he did. You bolted out of the room, holding his baby photo album in your hands, and his mother told you a couple of embarrassing childhood stories Kasamatsu knew you will never let him out live. He was embarrassed alright, knowing he should probably be mad at you, but he liked seeing you this carefree and relaxed. For you to hear a few of his childhood stories seemed like a small price to pay to him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 


End file.
